A  SCHOOL  HISTORY 


OF  THE 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA 

FROM   1619  TO  1890, 

WITH  A  SHORT  INTRODUCTION 


AS  TO 


THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  RACE; 


ALSO  A 


SHORT  SKETCH  OF  LIBERIA, 


BY 


EDWARD  A.  JOHKSON,  LL.B., 

Principal  of  the  Washington  School,  Raleigh,  N.  C. 


Copyright.  1891. 

BY  EDWARD  A.  JOHNSON,  L.L.B.. 
Raleigh,  N.  C 


& 

)2 

Tt, 


PREFACE. 


To  the  many  thousand  colored  teachers  in  our 
country  this  book  is  dedicated.  During  my  experi- 
ence of  eleven  years  as  a  teacher,  I  have  often  felt 
that  the  children  of  the  race  ought  to  study  some 
work  that  would  give  them  a  little  information  on 
the  many  brave  deeds  and  noble  characters  of  their 
own  race.  I  have  often  observed  the  sin  of  omission 
and  commission  on  the  part  of  white  authors,  most 
of  whom  seem  to  have  written  exclusively  for  white 
children,  and  studiously  left  out  the  many  creditable^ 
deeds  of  the  Negro.  The  general  tone  of  most  of 
the  histories  taught  in  our  schools  has  been  that  of 
the  inferiority  of  the  Negro,  whether,  actually  said 
in  so  many  words,  or  left  to  be  implied  from  the 
highest  laudation  of  the  deeds  of  one  race  to  the 
complete  exclusion  of  those  of  the  other.  It  must, 
indeed,  be  a  stimulus  to  any  people  to  be  able  to 
refer  to  their  ancestors  as  distinguished  in  deeds  of 
valor,  and  peculiarly  so  to  the  colored  people.  But 
how  must  the  little  colored  child  feel  when  he  has 
completed  the  assigned  course  of  U.  S.  History  and 
in  it  found  not  one  word  of  credit,  not  one  word  of 

(Ui) 


PREFACE. 


favorable  comment  for  even  one  among  the  millions 
of  his  foreparents,  who  have  lived  through  nearly 
three  centuries  of  his  country's  history  !  The  Negro 
is  hardly  given  a  passing  notice  in  many  of  the  his- 
tories taught  in  the  schools  ;  he  is  credited  with  no 
heritage  of  valor;  he  is  mentioned  only  as  a  slave, 
while  true  historical  records  prove  him  to  have  been 
among  the  most  patriotic  of  patriots,  among  the 
bravest  of  soldiers,  and  constantly  a  God-fearing, 
faithful  producer  of  the  nation's  wealth.  Though 
a  slave  to  this  government,  his  was  the  first  blood 
shed  in  its  defence  in  those  days  when  a  foreign  foe 
threatened  its  destruction.  In  each  of  the  American 
wars  the  Negro  was  faithful — yes,  faithful  to  a  land 
not  his  own  in  point  of  rights  and  freedom,  but,  in- 
deed, a  land  that,  after  he  had  shouldered  his  mus- 
ket to  defend,  rewarded  him  with  a  renewed  term 
of.  slavery.  Patriotism  and  valor  under  such  cir- 
cumstances possess  a  peculiar  merit  and  beauty.  But 
such  is  the  truth  of  history  ;  and  may  I  not  hope  that 
the  study  of  this  little  work  by  the  boys  and  girls  of 
the  race  will  inspire  in  them  a  new  self-respect  and 
confidence  ?  Much,  of  course,  will  depend  on  you, 
dear  teachers,  into  whose  hands  I  hope  to  place  this 
book.  By  your  efforts,  and  those  of  the  children, 
you  are  to  teach  from  the  truth  of  history  that  com- 
plexions do  not  govern  patriotism,  valor,  and  sterling 
integrity. 


PREFACE. 


My  endeavor  has  been  to  shorten  this  work  as 
much  as  I  thought-  consistent  with  clearness.  Per- 
sonal opinions  and  comments  have  been  kept  out. 
A  fair  impartial  statement  has  been  my  aim.  Facts 
are  what  I  have  tried  to  give  without,  bias  or  preju- 
dice ;  and  may  not  something  herein  said  hasten  on 
that  day  when  the  race  for  which  these  facts  are 
written,  following  the  example  of  the  noble  men  and 
women  who  have  gone  before,  level  themselves  up 
to  the  highest  pinnacle  of  all  that  is  noble  in  human 
nature? 

I  respectfully  request  that  my  fellow-teachers  will 
see  to  it  that  the  word  Negro  is  written  with  a 
capital  N.  It  deserves  to  be  so  enlarged,  and  will 
help,  perhaps,  to  magnify  the  race  it  stands  for  in 
the  minds  of  those  who  see  it. 

E.  A.  J. 


CONTENTS. 


I.  Introduction,  .        .        -         .        *        .        9 

II.  Beginning  of  Slavery  in  the  Colonies,      .        .       17 

III.  The  New  York  Colony  ......       23 

IV.  Massachusetts,  Rhode  Island,  and  Connecticut,       25 
.  V.  New  Hampshire  and  Maryland,       ...      .^4 

VI.  Delaware  and  Pennsylvania,     .  .        .40 

VII.  North  Carolina,       .         .  .        .        .41 

VIII.  South  Carolina,       ,        .        .  .        .      44 

IX.  Georgia,          .......       46 

X.  Habits  and  Customs  of  the  Southern  Colonies,       53 

XI.  Negro  Soldiers  in  Revolutionary  Times,  .        .       56 

XIL  Negro  Heroes  of  the  Revolution,     ...      63 

XIII.  The  War  of  1812,   ......       74 

XIV.  Efforts  for  Freedom,         .....      80 
XV.  Frederick  Douglass,         .        .        .        .        .84 

XVI.  Liberia,  .        .        .        .        .        .        .        .88 

XVII.  Nat.  Turner  and  Others  who  Struck  for  Free- 

dom,   ........      90 

XVIII.  Anti-Slavery  Agitation,    .....       98 

XIX.  Examples  of  Underground  Railroad  Work,->    .     101 

XX.  Slave  Population'of  1860,        .         .         .         .102 

(vii) 


viii 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

XXI.  The  War  of  the  Rebellion,      ....     103 

XXII.  Employment  of  Negro  Soldiers,       .     "    %        .109 

XXIII.  Fort  Pillow, .118 

XXIV.  Around  Petersburg,  .         .         .         .         %     122 
XXV.     The  Crater, ,        .126 

XXVI.     Incidents  of  the  War, 131 

XXVII.  The  End  of  the  War,       .         .        ,.        .         .135 

XXVIII.  Reconstruction— 1865-68,       ....     138 

XXIX.  Progress  Since  Freedom,          .         .        .         .142 

XXX.     Religious  Progress, 146 

XXXI.  Educational  Progress,      .         .         .         .         .156 

XXXII.     Financial  Progress, 162 

XXXIII.  Some  Noted  Negroes, 167 

XXXIV.  Free  People  of  Color  in  North  Carolina,          .     190 
XXXV.     Conclusion, 196 

Index, 197 


A  SCHOOL  HISTORY 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA. 


CHAPTER  I. 

INTRODUCTION. 

The  Origin  of  the  Negro  is  definitely  known. 
Some  very  wise  men,  writing  to  suit  prejudiced 
readers,  have  endeavored  to  assign  the  race  to  a 
separate  creation  and  deny  its  kindred  with  Adam 
and  Eve.  But  historical  records  prove  the  Negro  as 
ancient  as  the  most  ancient  races — for  5000  years 
into  the  dim  past  mention  is  made  of  the  Negro  race. 
The  pyramids  of  Egypt,  the  great  temples  on  the  Nile, 
were  either  built  by  Negroes  or  people  closely  related 
to  them.  All  the  science  and  learning  of  ancient 
Greece  and  Rome  was,  probably,  once  in  the  hands  of 
the  foreparents  of  the  American  slaves.  They  are, 
then,  descendants  of  a  race  of  people  once  the  most 
powerful  on  earth,  the  race  of  the  Pharaohs.  His- 
tory, traced  from  the  flood,  makes  the  three  sons  of 
Noah,  Ham,  Shem,  and  Japheth,  the  progenitors  of 
the  three  primitive  races  of  the  earth — the  Mongo- 

(9) 


10  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

lian,  descended  from  Shcm  and  settled  in  Southern 
and  Eastern  Asia ;  the  Caucasian,  descended  from 
Japheth  and  settled  in  Europe ;  the  Ethiopian,  de- 
scended from  Ham  and  settled  in  Africa  and  adja- 
cent countries.  From  Ham  undoubtedly  sprung  the 
Egyptians  who,  in  honor  of  Ham,  their  great  head, 
lamed  their  principal  god  Hammon  or  Ammon. 

Ham  was  the  father  of  Canaan,  from  whom  de- 
scended the  powerful  Canaanites  so  troublesome  to 
the  Jews.  Cush,  the  oldest  son  of  Ham,  was  the 
father  of  Nimrod,  "  the  mighty  one  in  the  earth  " 
and  founder  of  the  Babylonian  Empire.  Nimrod's 
son  built  the  unrivalled  City  of  Nineveh  in  the  pic- 
turesque valley  of  the  Tigris,  Unless  the  Bible 
statement  be  false  that  "  God  created  of  one  blood 
all  nations  of  men  for  to  dwell  on  the  face  of  the  earth" 
and  the  best  historians  have  erred,  then  the  origin 
of  the  Negro  is  high  enough  to  merit  his  proudest 
boasts  of  the  past,  and  arouse  his  grandest  hopes 
for  the  future. 

The  Present  Condition  of  the  African  is  the  re- 
sult of  the  fall  of  the  Egyptian  empire,  which  was  in 
accord  with  the  Bible  prophecy  of  all  nations  who 
forgot  God  and  worshipped  idols.  That  the  Afri- 
cans were  once  a  great  people  is  shown  by  their 
natural  love  for  the  fine  arts.  They  are  poetic  by 
nature,  and  national  airs  sung  long  ago  by  exploring 
parties  in  Central  Africa  are  still  held  by  them,  and 


NEQRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA.  \  I 

strike  the  ears  of  more  modern  travellers  with  joy 
and  surprise. 

Ancient  Cities  Discovered  in  the  very  heart  of 
Africa,  having  well  laid  off  streets,  improved  wharfs, 
and  conveniences  for  trade,  connect  these  people 
-with  a  better  condition  in  the  past  than  now.  While 
many  of  the  native  Africans  are  desperately  savage, 
yet  in  their  poor,  degraded  condition  it  is  the  unani- 
mous testimony  of  missionaries  and  explorers  that 
many  of  these  people  have  good  judgment,  some 
tribes  have  written  languages,  and  show  skill  in 
weaving  cloth,  smelting  and  refining  gold  and  iron 
and  making  implements  of  war. 

Their  Wonderful  regard  for  truth  and  virtue  is 
surprising,  and  fixes  a  great  gulf  between  them  and 
other  savage  peoples.  They  learn  rapidly,  and,  un- 
fortunately, it  is  too  often  the  case  that  evil  teaching 
is  given  them  by  the  vile  traders  who  frequent  their 
country  with  an  abundance  of  rum,  mouths  full  of 
curses,  and  the  worst  of  bad  English. 

Long  Years  Spent  in  the  most  debilitating  cli- 
mate on  earth  and  violation  of  divine  law,  made  the 
African  what  he  was  when  the  slave  trade  com- 
menced in  the  i6th  century.  But  his  condition  was 
not  so  bad  that  he  could  not  be  made  a  good  citizen. 
Nay,  he  was  superior  to  the  ancient  savage  Briton 
whom  Caesar  found  in  England  and  described  as  un- 
fitted to  make  respectable  slaves  of  in  the  Roman 


12  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Empire.  The  Briton  has  had  eighteen  centuries  to 
be  what  he  is,  the  Negro  has  had  really  but  twenty- 
five  years.  Let  us  weigh  his  progress  in  just  bal- 
ances. 

SOME    QUOTATIONS    FROM    LEADING    WRITERS   ON 
THE     NEGRO. 

"The  Sphinx  may  have  been  the  shrine  of  the 
Negro  population  of  Egypt,  who,  as  a  people,  were 
unquestionably  under  our  average  size.  Three  mil- 
lion Buddhists  in  Asia  represent  their  chief  deity. 
Buddha,  with  Negro  features  and  hair.  There  are 
two  other  images  of  Buddha,  one  at  Ceylon  and  the 
other  at  Calanse,  of  which  Lieutenant  Mahoney 
says:  *  Both  these  statues  agree  in  having  crisped 
hair  and  long,  pendant  ear-rings.'  " — Morton. 

"The  African  is  a  man  with  every  attribute  of 
humankind.  Centuries  of  barbarism  have  had  the 
same  hurtful  effects  on  Africans  as  Pritchard  de- 
scribes them  to  have  had  on  certain  of  the  Irish  who 
were  driven,  some  generations  back,  to  the  hills  in 
Ulster  and  Connaught" — the  moral  and  physical 
effects  are  the  same. 

"  Ethnologists  reckon  the  African  as  by  no  means 
the  lowest  of  the  human  family.  He  is  nearly  as 
strong  physically  as  the  European;  and,  as  a  race, 
is  wonderfully  persistent  among  the  nations  of  the 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA.  13 

earth.  Neither  the  diseases  nor  the  ardent  spirits 
which  proved  so  fatal  to  the  North  American 
Indians,  the  South  Sea  Islanders  and  Australians, 
seem  capable  of  annihilating  the  Negroes.  They 
are  gifted  with  physical  strength  capable  of  with- 
standing the  severest  privations.  Many  would 
pine  away  in  a  state  of  slavery.  No  Krooman  can 
be  converted  into  a  slave,  and  yet  he  is  an  inhabit- 
ant of  the  low,  unhealthy  west  coast ;  nor  can  any 
of  the  Zulu  or  Kaffir  tribe  be  reduced  to  bondage, 
though  all  these  live  in  comparatively  elevated 
regions.  We  have  heard  it  stated  by  men  familiar 
with  some  of  the  Kaffirs,  that  a  blow  given,  even 
in  play,  by  a  European,  must  be  returned.  A  love 
of  liberty  is  observable  in  all  who  have  the  Zulu 
blood,  as  the  Makololo,  the  Watuta.  But  blood 
does  not  explain  the  fact.  A  beautiful  Barotse 
woman  at  Naliele,  on  refusing  to  marry  a  man 
whom  she  did  not  like,  was,  in  a  pet,  given  by  the 
headman  to  some  Mambari  slave  traders  from  Ben- 
guela.  Seeing  her  fate,  she  seized  one  of  their 
spears,  and,  stabbing  herself,  fell  dead." — Living- 
stone s  Works. 

"  In  ancient  times  the  blacks  were  known  to  be 
so  gentle  to  strangers  that  many  believed  that  the 
gods  sprang  from  them.  Homer  sings  of  the  ocean, 
father  of  the  gods,  and  says  that  when  Jupiter 
wishes  to  take  a  holiday,  he  visits  the  sea,  and  goes 


14  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

to  the  banquets  of.  the  blacks — a   people  humble, 
courteous  and  devout" 

THE  CURSE  OF   NOAH    WAS    NOT   DIVINE! 

The  following  passage  of  Scripture  has  been  much  quoted  as  an  argument 
to  prove  the  inferiority  of  the  Negro  race.  The  Devil  can  quote  Scripture, 
but  not  always  correctly :  "  And  Noah  began  to  be  an  husbandman,  and  he 
planted  a  vineyard:  and  he  drank  of  the  wine,  and  was  drunken  and  was 
uncovered  in  his  tent,  and  Ham,  the  father  of  Canaan,  saw  the  nakedness  of 
his  father,  and  told  his  two  brethren  without,  and  Shem  and  Japheth  took  a 
garment  and  laid  it  upon  both  their  shoulders,  and  went  backward  and  cov- 
ered the  nakedness  of  their  father;  and  their  faces  were  backward,  and  they 
saw  not  their  father's  nakedness,  and  Noah  awoke  from  his  wine,  and  knew 
what  his  younger  son  had  done  unto  him,  and  he  said,  Cursed  be  Canaan;  a 
•servant  of  servants  shall  he  be  unto  his  brethren.  And  he  said  :  Blessed  be 
the  Lord  God  of  Shem,  and  Canaan  shall  be  his  servant.  God  shall  enlarge 
Japheth,  and  he  shall  dwell  in  the  tents  of  Shem,  and  Canaan  shall  be  his 
servant." 

After  the  flood  Noah's  mission  as  a  preacher  to  the-people  was  over.  He 
so  recognized  it  himself,  and  settled  himself  down  with  his  family  on  a  vine- 
yard. He  got  drunk  of  the  wine  he  made,  and  disgracefully  lay  in  naked- 
ness; on  awaking  from  his  drunken  stupor,  and  learning  of  Ham's  acts,  he, 
in  rage,  speaks  his  feelings  to  Canaan,  Ham's  son.  He  was  in  bad  temper  at 
this  time,  and  spoke  as  one  in  such  a  temper  in  those  times  naturally  would 
speak.  To  say  he  was  uttering  God's  will  would  be  a  monstrosity— would  be 
to  drag  the  sacred  words  of  prophecy  through  profane  lips,  and  make  God 
speak  his  will  to  men  out  of  the  mouth  of  a  drunkard,  of  whom  the  Holy 
Writ  says  none  can  enter  the  kingdom.  A  drunken  prophet  strikes  the  mind 
with  ridicule !  Yet,  such  was  Noah,  if  at  all,  and  such  the  character  of  that 
prophet  whom  biased  minds  have  chosen  as  the  expounder  of  a  curse  on  the 
Negro  race.  It  is  not  strange  that  so  few  people  have  championed  the  curse 
theory  of  the  race,  when  we  think  that  in  so  doing  they  must  at  the  same 
time  endorse  Noah's  drunkenness. 

But,  aside  from  this,  the  so-called  prophecy  of  Noah  has  not  become  true 
The  best  evidence  of  a  prophecy  is  its  fulfillment.  Canaan's  descendants 
have  often  conquered,  though  Noah  said  they  would  not.  Goodrich  makes 
the  Canaanites,  so  powerful  in  the  fortified  cities  of  Ai  and  Jericho,  the  direct 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA.  15 

descendants  of  Canaan  They  were  among  the  most  powerful  people  of 
olden  times.  They  and  their  kindred  built  up  Egypt,  Phoenicia,  the  mother 
of  the  alphabet,  and  Nineveh  and  Babylon,  the  two  most  wonderful  of  ancient 
cities.  The  Jews.  Cod's  chosen  people,  were  enslaved  by  the  kindred  of 
Canaan  both  in  Egypt  and  Babylon.  Melchizedek  (King  of  Righteousness), 
a  sacred  character  of  the  Old  Testament,  was  a  Canaanite.  So,  rather  than 
being  a  race  of  slaves,  as  Noah  predicted,  the  Canaanitish  people  have  been 
the  greatest  people  of  the  earth.  The  great  nations  of  antiquity  were  in  and 
around  Eastern  Africa  and  Western  Asia,  in  which  is  located  Mount  Ararat, 
supposed  to  be  the  spot  on  which  the  ark  rested  after  the  flood.  These  nations 
sprang  from  the  four  sons  of  Ham — Cush,  Mizarim,  Phut  and  Canaan.  The 
Cushites  were  Ethiopians,  who  lived  in1  Abyssinia.  The  Mizarimites  were 
Egyptians,  who  lived  in  Egypt,  and  so  distinguished  for  greatness.  The  Ca- 
naanites  occupied  the  country  including  Tyre  and  Sidon  and  stretching  down 
into  Arabia  as  far  as  Gaza  and  including  the  province  of  the  renowned  Queen 
of  Sheba. 

In  the  light  of  true  history  the  curse  theory  of  the  Negro  melts  like  snow 
under  a  summer's  sun.  We  contend,  from  the  above  facts,  that  Noah  did 
not  utter  a  prophecy  when  he  spoke  to  Canaan,  and  as  proof  of  that  fact  we 
nave  quoted  some  historical  data  to  show  that  if  he  did  make  such  a  prophecy 
it  was  not  fulfilled.  We  will  add,  further,  that  the  part  of  the  alleged  prophecy 
conferring  blessings  on  Shem  and  Japheih  has  also  fallen  without  verification, 
in  that  the  descendants  of  these  two  personages  have  more  than  once  been 
enslaved. 

It  seems  hardly  necessary  in  this  age  of  enlightenment  to  refer  to  the  Curse 
Theory  argued  so  persistently  by  those  who  needed  some  such  argument  as 
an  apology  for  wrong-doing,  but  still  there  are  some  who  yet  believe  in  it, 
having  never  cut  loose  from  the  moorings  of  blind  prejudice.  The  Color 
Theory  was  also  quite  popular  formerly  as  an  argument  in  support  of  the 
curse  of  Noah.  We  hold  that  the  color  of  the  race  is  due  to  climatic  influ- 
ences, and  in  support  of  this  view  read  this  quotation  in  reference  to  Africa : 
"  As  we  go  westward  we  observe  the  light  color  predominating  over  the  dark  ; 
and  then,  again,  when  we  come  within  the  influence  of  the  damp  from  the 
sea  air,  we  find  the  shade  deepened  into  the  general  blackness  of  the  coast 
population. 

*'  It  is  well  known  that  the  Biseagan  women  are  shining  white,  the  inhab- 
itants of  Granada,  on  the  contrary,  dark,  to  such  an  extent  that  in  this  rogion 
(West  Europe)  the  pictures  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  and  other  saints  are  painted 
of  the  same  color." 


16 


A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 


Black  is  no  mark  of  reproach  to  people  who  do  not  worship  white.  The 
West  Indians  in  the  interior  represent  the  devil  as  "white.  The  American 
Indians  make  fun  of  the  "pale  face,"  and  so  does  the  native  African.  People 
in  this  country  have  been  educated  to  believe  in  white  because  all  that  is 
good  has  been  ascribed  to  the  white  race  both  in  pictures  and  words.  God, 
the  angels  and  all  the  p*>phets  are  pictured  white  and  the  Devil  is  represented 
as  black. 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA.  17 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE  BEGINNING  OF  SLAVERY  IN  THE 
COLONIES.  ' 

The  first  Negroes  landed  at  Jamestown,  Va. 

In  the  year  1619,  a  Dutch  trading  vessel,  being  in 
need  of  supplies,  weighed  anchor  at  Jamestown,  and 
exchanged  fourteen  Negroes  for  food  and  supplies. 
The  Jamestown  people  made  slaves  of  these  four- 
teen Negroes,  but  did  not  pass  any  law  to  that  effect 
until  the  year  1662,  when  the  number  of  slaves  in 
the  colony  was  then  nearly  2000,  most  of  whom 
had  been  imported  from  Africa. 

How  They  were  Employed.  The  Jamestown 
colony  early  discovered  the  profits  of  the  tobacco 
crop,  and  the  Negro  slaves  were  largely  employed 
in  this  industry,  where  they  proved  very  profitable. 
They  were  also  enlisted  in  the  militia,  but  could 
not  bear  arms  except  in  defence  of  the  colonists 
against  the  Indians.  The  greater  part  of  the 
manual  labor  of  all  kinds  was  performed  by  the 
slaves. 

The  Slaves  Imported  came  chiefly  from  the 
west  coast  of  Africa.  They  were  crowded  into  the 


18  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

holds  of  ships  in  droves,  and  often  suffered  for  food 
and  drink.  Many,  when  opportunity  permitted, 
would  jump  overboard  rather  than  be  taken  from 
their  homes.  Various  schemes  were  resorted  to  by 
the  slave-traders  to  get  possession  of  the  Africans. 
They  bought  many  who  had  been  taken  prisoners 
by  stronger  tribes  than  their  own ;  they  stole 
others,  and  some  they  took  at  the  gun  and  pistol's 
mouth. 

Many  of  the  Captives  of  the  slave-traders  sold 
in  this  country  were  from  tribes  possessing  more  or 
less  knowledge  of  the  use  of  tools.  Some  came 
from  tribes  skilled  in  making  gold  and  ivory  orna- 
ments, cloth,  and  magnificent  steel  weapons  of  war. 
The  men  had  been  trained  to  truthfulness,  honesty, 
and  valor,  while  the  women  were  virtuous  even  unto 
death.  While  polygamy  is  prevalent  among  most 
African  tribes,  yet  their  system  of  marrying  off  the 
young  girls  at  an  early  age,  and  thus  putting  them 
under  the  guardianship  of  their  husbands,  is  a  pro- 
tection to  them ;  and  the  result  is  plainly  seen  by 
travellers  who  testify  positively  to  the  uprightness 
of  the. women. 

The  Ancestors  of  the  American  Negroes,  though 
savage  in  some  respects,  yet  were  not  so  bad  as 
many  people  think.  The  native  African  had  then, 
and  he  has  now,  much  respect  for  what  we  call  law 
and  justice.  This  fact  is  substantiated  by  the  na- 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA.  19 

merous  large  tribes  existing,  individuals  of  which 
grow  to  be  very  old,  a  thing  that  could  not  happen 
were  there  the  wholesale  brutalism  which  we  are 
sometimes  told  exists.  All  native  Africans  univer- 
sally despise  slavery,  and  even  in  Liberia  have  a 
contempt  for  the  colored  people  there  who  were 
once  slaves  in  America. 

The  Jamestown  Slaves  were  doomed  to  ser- 
vitude and  ignorance  both  oy  law  and  custom  ;  they 
were  not  allowed  to  vote,  and  could  not  be  set  free 
even  by  their  masters,  except  for  "  some  meritorious 
service."  Their  religious  instruction  was  of  an  in- 
ferior order,  and  slaves  were  sometimes  given  to  the 
white  ministers  as  pay  for  their  services. 

The  Free  Negroes  of  Ja'mestown  were  in  a 
similar  condition  to  that  of  the  slaves.  They  could 
vote  and  bear  arms  in  defence  of  the  colony,  but 
not  for  themselves.  They  were  taxed  to  bear  the 
expenses  of  the  government,  but  could  not  be  edu- 
cated in  the  schools  they  helped  to  build.  Some  of 
them  managed  to  acquire  some  education  and  prop- 
erty. 

The  Negro  Heroes  who  may  have  exhibited 
their  heroism  in  many  a  daring  feat  during  the  early 
history  of  Jamestown  are  not  known.  It  is  unfor- 
tunate that  there  was  no  record  kept  except  that  of 
the  grimes  of  his  ancestors  in  this  country.  Judg- 
ing, however,  from  the  records  of  later  years,  we 


20  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  Of  THE 

may  conclude  that  the  Negro  slave  of  Jamestown 
was  not  without  his  Banneka  or  Blind  Tom.  Cer- 
tainly his  labor  was  profitable  and  may  be  said  to 
have  built  up  the  colony. 

When  John  Smith  became  Governor  of  the 
Jamestown  colony,  there  were  none  but  white  in- 
habitants; their  indolent  habits  caused  him  to  make 
a  law  declaring  that  "  he  who  would  not  work  should 
not  eat."  Prior  to  this  time  the  colony  had  proved 
a  failure  and  continued  so  till  the  introduction  of  the 
slaves,  under  whose  labor  it  soon  grew  prosperous 
and  recovered  from  its  hardships. 

Thomas  Fuller,  sometimes  called  "  the  Virginia 
Calculator,"  must  not  be  overlooked  in  speaking  of 
the  record  of  the  Virginia  Negro.  He  was  stolen 
from  his  home  in  Africa  and  sold  to  a  planter  near 
Alexandria,  Va.  His  genius  for  mathematics  won 
for  him  a  great  reputation.  He  attracted  the  atten- 
tion of  such  men  as  Dr.  Benjamin  Rush,  of  Phila- 
delphia, who,  in  company  with  others,  was  passing 
through  Virginia.  Tom  was  sent  for  by  one  of  the 
company  and  asked,  "how  many  seconds  a  man  of 
seventy  years*  some  odd  months,  weeks  and  days, 
had  lived?"  He  gave  the  exact  number  in  a  minute 
and  a  half.  The  gentleman  who  questioned  him 
took  his  pen,  and  after  some  figuring  told  him  he 
must  be  mistaken,  as  the  number  was  too  great. 
"Top,  massa!"  cried  Tom,  "you  hab  left  out  the 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA.  21 

leap  year" — and  sure  enough  Tom  was  correct.— 
Williams. 

The  following  was  published  in  several  news- 
papers when  Thomas  Fuller  died  : 

"  DIED. — Negro  Tom,  the  famous  African  Calcu- 
lator, aged  80  years.  He  was  the  property  of  Mrs. 
Elizabeth  Cox,  of  Alexandria.  Tom  was  a  very 
black  man.  He  was  brought  to  this  country  at  the 
age  of  fourteen,  and  was  sold  as  a  slave  with  many 
of  his  unfortunate  countrymen.  This  man  was  a 
prodigy  ;  though  he  could  neither  read  nor  write,  he 
had  perfectly  acquired  the  use  of  enumeration.  He 
could  give  the  number  of  months,  days,  weeks,  hours, 
minutes,  and  seconds  for  any  period  of  time  that  a 
person  chose  to  mention  allowing  in  his  calculations 
for  all  the  leap  years  that  happened  in  the  time.  He 
would  give  the  number  of  poles,  yards,  feet,  inches 
and  barleycorns  in  a  given  distance — say  the  diam- 
eter of  the  earth's  orbit — and  in  every  calculation  he 
would  produce  the  true  answer  in  less  time  than 
ninety-nine  out  of  a  hundred  men  would  take  with 
their  pens.  And  what  was,  perhaps,  more  extraor- 
dinary, though  interrupted  in  the  progress  of  his  cal- 
culations and  engaged  in  discourse  upon  any  other 
subject,  his  operations  were  not  thereby  in  the  least 
deranged.  He  would  go  on  where  he  left  off,  and 
could  give  any  and  all  of  the  stages  through  which 
his  calculations  had  passed.  Thus  died  Negro  Tom, 


22  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

this  untaught  arithmetician,  this  untutored  scholar. 
Had  his  opportunities  of  improvement  been  equal 
to  those  of  a  thousand  of  his  fellow-men,  neither  the 
Royal  Society  of  London,  the  Academy  of  Sciences 
at  Paris,  nor  even  a  Newton  himself  need  have  been 
ashamed  to  acknowledge  him  a  brother  in  science/* 
How  many  of  his  kind  might  there  have  been 
had  the  people  of  Jamestown  seen  fit  to  give  the 
Negroes  who  came  to  their  shores  a  laborer's  and 
emigrant's  chance  rather  than  enslaving  them! 
Much  bloodshed  and  dissension  might  thus  have 
been  avoided,  and  the  honor  of  the  nation  never 
besmirched  with  human  bondage. 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA  23 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  NEW  YORK  COLONY. 

THE  enslavement  of  the  Negro  seems  to  have 
commenced  in  the  New  York  Colony  about  the  same 
time  as  at  Jamestown  (1619).  The  slaves  were  used 
on  the  farms,  and  became  so  profitable  that  about 
the  time  the  English  took  the  colony  from  the 
Dutch,  1664,  there  was  a  great  demand  for  slaves, 
and  the  trade  grew  accordingly. 

The  Privileges  of  the  Slaves  in  New  York 
were,  for  a  while,  a  little  better  than  in  Virginia. 
They  were  taken  into  the  church  and  baptized,  and 
no  law  was  passed  to  prevent  their  getting  an  edu- 
cation. But  the  famous  Wall  Street,  now  the  finan- 
cial .centre  of  the  New  World,  was  once. the  scene 
of  an  auction  block  where  Indians  and  persons  of 
Ne-gro  descent  were  bought  and  sold.  A  whipping 
boss  was  once  a  characteristic  officer  in  New  York 
city. 

The  Riot  of  1712  shows  the  feeling  between  the 
master  and  servant  at  that  time.  The  Negro  popu- 
lation being  excluded  from  schools,  not  allowed  to 
own  land,  even  when  free,  and  forbidden  to  "  strike 


24  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

a  Christian  or  Jew"  in  self-defence,  and  their  testi- 
mony excluded  from  the  courts,  arose  in  arms  and 
with  the  torch;  houses  were  burned,  and  many 
whites  killed,  before  the  militia  suppressed  them. 
Many  of  the  Negroes  of  New  York  were  free,  and 
many  came  from  the  Spanish  provinces. 


NEGRO  RACE  TN  AMERICA.  25 


CHAPTER    IV. 

MASSACHUSETTS,    RHODE    ISLAND,    AND 
CONNECTICUT. 

NEGRO  slavery  existed  in  Massachusetts  as  early 
as  1633.  The  Puritan  fathers  who  came  to  this 
country  in  search  of  liberty,  carried  on  for  more 
than  a  century  a  traffic  in  human  flesh  and  blood. 
The  New  England  'ships  of  the  i  ;th  century  brought 
cargoes  of  Negroes  from  the  west  coast  of  Africa 
and  the  Barbadoes.  They  sold  many  of  them  in 
New  England  as  well  as  in  the  Southern  colonies. 
In  1 764  there  were  nearly  6000  slaves  in  Massa- 
chusetts, about  4000  in  Rhode  Island,  and  the  same 
in  Connecticut. 

The  Treatment  of  the  slaves  in  these  colonies 
at  this  time  was  regulated  by  laws  which  classed 
them  as  property,  "  being  rated  as  horses  and  hogs." 
They  could  not  bear  arms  nor  be  admitted  to  the 
schools.  They  were  baptized  in  the  churches,  but 
this  did  not  make  them  freemen,  .as  it  did  white 
serfs. 

Better  Treatment  was  given  the  slaves  as  the 
colonies  grew  older  and  were  threatened  with  wars 


26  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

It  was  thought  that  the  slaves  might  espouse  the 
cause  of  the  enemy,  and  for  this  reason  some  leni- 
ency was  shown  them,  and  the  conscience  of  the 
people  was  also  being  aroused. 

Judge  Samuel  Sewall,  a  Chief  Justice  of  Massa- 
chusetts wrote  a  tract  in  1700  warning  the  people 
of  New  England  against  slavery  and  ill  treatment  of 
Negroes.  He  said  :  "  Forasmuch  as  Liberty  is  in 
real  value  next  unto  Life,  none  ought  to  part  with  it 
themselves,  or  deprive  others  of  it,  but  upon  most 
mature  consideration." 

Judge  Se wall's  tract  greatly  excited  the  New  Eng- 
land people  on  the  subject  of  emancipating  their 
slaves.  "  The  pulpit  and  the  press  were  not  silent, 
and  sermons  and  essays  in  behalf  of  the  enslaved 
Africans  were  continually  making  their:  appear 
ance." 

The  Slaves  Themselves  aroused  by  these'favoi?- 
able  utterances  from  friendly  people  made  up  peti- 
tions which  they  presented  with  strong'  arguments 
for  their  emancipation,  A  great  many  slaves  brought 
suits  against  their  masters,  for  restraining  them  of 
their  liberty.  In  1 774  a  slave  "of  one  Caleb  Dodge,'" 
of  Essex  county,  brought  .suit  against  his  master 
praying  for  his  liberty.  The  jury  decided  that 
there  was  "  no  law  in  the  Province  to  hold  a  man  to 
serve  for  life,"  and  the  slave  of  Caleb  Dodge  won 
the  suit. 


NEGRO  RACE  7AT  AMERICA.  27 


Felix  Holbrook  and  other  skves  presented  a 
petition  to  the  Massachusetts  House  of  Representa- 
tives in  1773,  asking  to  be  set  free  and  granted 
some  unimproved  lands  where  they  might  earn  an 
honest  living  as  freemen.  Their  petition  was  de- 
layed consideration  one  year,  and  finally  passed. 
But  the  English  governors,  Hutchinson  and  Gage, 
refused  to  sign  it,  because  they  perhaps  thought  it 
would  "  choke  the  channel  of  a  commerce  in  human 
souls/' 

British  Hatred  to  Negro  freedom  thus  made  it- 
self plain  to  the  New  England  slaves,  and  a  few 
years  later,  when  England  fired  her  guns  to  subdue 
the  revolution  begun  at  Lexington,  the  slave  popu- 
lation  enlisted  largely  in  the  defence  of  the  colonists. 
And  thus  the  Negro  slave  by  valor,  patriotism  and 
industry,  began  to  loosen  the  chains  of  his  own 
bondage  in  the  Northern  colonies. 

PHILLIS     VVHEATLEY. 

Before  passing  from  the  New  England  colonies 
it  would  be  unfortunate  to  the  readers  of  this  book 
were  they  not  made  acquainted  with  the  great  and 
wonderful  career  of  the  young  Negro  slave  who 
bore  the  above  name.  She  came  from  Africa  and 
was  sold  in  a  Boston  slave  market  in  the  year  1761 
to  a  kind  lady  who  was  a  Mrs.  Wheatley.  As  she 
sat  with  a  crowd  of  slaves  in  the  market,  naked,  save 


A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 


a  piece  of  cloth  tied  about  the  loins,  her  modest,  in- 
telligent bearing  so  attracted  Mrs.  Wheatley  that 


she  selected  her  in  preference  to  all  the  others.  Her 
selection  proved  a  good  one,  for,  with  clean  clothing 
and  careful  attention,  Phillis  soon  began  to  show  a 
great  desire  for  learning.  Though  only  eight  yeais 
old,  this  young  African,  whose  race  all  the  learned 
men  said  were  incapable  of  culture,  within  little  over 
a  year's  time  so  mastered  the  English  language  as 


NEGRO  RA  CE  IN  A  M  ERIC  A .  29' 


to  be  able  to  read  the  most  difficult  parts  of  the 
Bible  intelligently.  Her  achievements  in  two  or 
three  years  drew  the  leading  lights  of  Boston  to 
Mrs.  Wheatley's  house,  and  with  them  Phillis  talked 
and  carried  on  correspondence  concerning  the  popu- 
lar topics  of  the  day.  Everybody  either  knew  or 
knew  of  Phillis.  She  became  skilled  in  Latin  and 
translated  one  of  Ovid's  stones,  which  was  published 
largely  in  English  magazines.  She  published  many 
poems  in  English,  one  of  which  was  addressed  to 
General  George  Washington.  He  sent  her  the  fol- 
lowing letter  in  reply,  which  shows  that  Washington 
was  as  great  in  heart  as  in  war  : 

CAMBRIDGE,  28  February,  1776. 

"  Miss  Phillis  /—Your  favor  of  the  26th  October 
did  not  reach  my  hands  till  the  middle  of  December. 
....  I  thank  you  most  sincerely  for  your  polite 
notice  of  me  in  the  elegant  lines  you  enclosed  ;  and 
however  undeserving  I  may  be  of  such  encomium  and 
panegyric,  the  style  and  manner  exhibit  a  striking 
proof  of  your  poetical  talents,  in  honor  of  which,  and 
as  a  tribute  justly  due  to  you,  I  would  have  pub- 
lished the  poem,  had  I  not  been  apprehensive  that, 
while  I  only  meant  to  give  the  world  this  new  in- 
stance of  your  genius,  I  might  have  incurred  the  im- 
putation of  vanity,  This  and  nothing  else,  deter- 
mined me  not  to  give  it  place  in  the  pu.blic  prints. 


30  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

"  If  you  should  ever  come  to  Cambridge,  or  near 
headquarters,  I  shall  be  happy  to  see  a  person  so 
favored  by  the  Muses,  and  to  whom  Nature  has  been, 
so  liberal  and  beneficent  in  her  dispensations.  I 
am  with  great  respect, 

"  Your  humble  servant, 

"  GEORGE  WASHINGTON." 
—  Williams. 

Phillis  was  emancipated  at  the  age  of  twenty- one. 
Soon  after  that  her  health  failed  and  she  was  sent 
to  Europe,  where  she  created  even  a  greater  sensa- 
tion than  in  America.  Men  and  women  in  the  very 
highest  stations  of  the  Old  World  were  wonder- 
struck,  and  industriously  attentive  to  this  humble 
born  African  girl.  While  Phillis  was  away  Mrs. 
Wheatley  became  seriously  ill  and  her  daily  long- 
ings were  to  see  "  her  Phillis,"  to  whom  she  was  so 
much  devoted.  It  is  related  that  she  would  often 
turn  on  her  sick-couch  and  exclaim,  "  See  !  Look  at 
my  Phillis !  Does  she  not  seem  as  though  she  would 
speak  to  me  ? "  Phillis  was  sent  for  to  come,  and  in 
response  to  the  multitude  of  kindnesses  done  her  by 
Mrs.  Wheatley,  she  hastened  to  her  bed-side  where 
she  arrived  just  before  Mrs.  Wheatley  died,  and 
"  shortly  had  time  to  close  her  sightless  eyes." 

Mr.  Wheatley,  after  the  death  of  his  wife,  married 
again  and  settled  in  England.  Phillis  being  thus 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA.      .  31 

left  alone  also  married.  Her  husband  was  named 
Peters.  He,  far  inferior  to  her  in  most  every  way, 
and  becoming"  jealous  of  the  favors  shown  her  by 
the  best  of  society,  became  very  cruel.  Phillis  did 
not  long  survive  his  harsh  treatment,  and  she  died 
"greatly  beloved"  and  mourned  on  two  continents, 
December  5,  1784,  at  the  age  of  31. 

Thus  passed  away  one  of  the  brightest  of  the  race, 
whose  life  was  as  pure  as  a  crystal  and  devoted  to 
the  most  beautiful  in  poetry,  letters  and  religion,  and 
jexemplifies  the  capabilities  of  the  race. 

She  composed  this  verse: 


'Twas  mercy  brought  me  from  my  Pagan  land, 
Taught  my  benighted  soul  to  understand 
That  there's  a  God — that  there's  a  Saviour,  too  ; 
Once  I  redemption  neither  sought  nor  knew." 


Contrary  to  the  Connecticut  slaveholders  feigned 
unbelief  in  the  intellectual  capacity  of  the  Ne'gro, 
and  their  assertions  of  his  utter  inferiority  in  all 
things,  they  early  enacted  the  most  rigid  laws  pro- 
hibiting the  teaching  of  any  Negro  to  read,  bond  or 
free,  with  a  penalty  of  several  hundred  dollars  for 
every  such  act.  The  following  undeniable  story  is 
woven  into  the  fabric  of  Connecticut's  history,  and 
tells  a  sad  tale  of  the  prejudice  of  her  people  against 
the  Negro  during  the  days  of  slavery  there  : 

"Prudence  Crandall,  a  young  Quaker  lady  of 


32  9     A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

talent,  was  employed  to  teach  a  '  boarding  and  day- 
school.'  While  at  her  post  of  duty  one  day,  Sarah 
Harris,  whose  father  was  a  well-to-do  colored  farmer, 
applied  for  admission.  Miss  Crandall  hesitated 
somewhat  to  admit  her,  but  knowing  the  girl's  re- 
spectability, her  lady-like  and  modest  deportment, 
for  she  was  a  member  of  the  white  people's  church 
and  well  known  to  them,  she  finally  told  her  yes. 
The  girl  came.  Soon  Miss  Crandall  was  called  upon 
by  the  patrons,  announcing  their  disgust  and  loath- 
ing that  their  daughters  should  attend  school  with  a 
'nigger  girl.'  Miss  Crandall  protested,  but.  to  no 
avail.  The  white  pupils  were  finally  taken  from  the 
school.  Miss  Crandall-  then  opened  a  school  for 
colored  ladies.  She  enrolled  about  twenty,  but  they 
were  subjected  to  many  outrageous  insults.  They 
were  denied  accommodation  altogether  in  the  village 
of  Canterbury.  Their  well  was  filled  up  with  trash> 
and  all  kinds  of  unpleasant  and  annoying  acts  were 
thrust  upon  them.  The'  people  felt  determined  that 
Canterbury  should  not  have  the  disgrace  of  a  col- 
ored school.  No,  not  even  the  State  of  Connecti- 
cut. Miss  Crandall  sent  to  Brooklyn  to  some  of  her 
friends.  They  pleaded  in  her  behalf  privately,  and 
went  to  a  town  meeting  to  speak  for  her,  but  were 
denied  the  privilege.  Finally,  the  Legislature 
passed  a  law  prohibiting  colored  schools  in  the 
State.  From  the  advice  of  her  friends  and  her  own 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA.  33 

strong  will,  Miss  Crandall  continued  to  teach.  She 
was  arrested  and  her  friends  were  sent  for.  They 
came,  but  would  not  be  persuaded  by  the  sheriff  and 
other  officers  to  stand  her  bond.  The  people  saw 
the  disgrace  and  felt  ashamed  to  have  it  go  down  in 
history  that  she  was  put  in  jail.  In  agreement  with 
Miss  Crandall's  wishes  her  friends  still  persisted,  so 
about  night  she  was  put  in  jail,  into  a  murderer's 
cell.  The  news  flashed  over  the  country,  much  to 
the  Connecticut  people's  chagrin  and  disgrace.  She 
had  her  trial — the  court  evaded  giving  a  decision. 
She  opened  her  school  again,  and  an  attempt  was 
made  to  burn  up  the  building  while  she  and  the 
pupils  were  there,  but  proved  unsuccessful.  One 
night  about  midnight  they  were  aroused  to  find 
themselves  besieged  by  persons  with  heavy  iroi\ 
bars  and  clubs  breaking  the  windows  and  tearing 
things  to  pieces.  It  was  then  thought  unwise  to 
continue  the  school  longer.  So  the  doors  were 
closed,  and  the  poor  girls,  whose  only  offence  was  a 
manifestation  for  knowledge,  were  sent  to  their 
homes.  This  law,  however,  was  repealed  in  1838, 
after  lasting  five  years. 


34  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 


CHAPTER  V 

NEW  HAMPSHIRE  AND  MARYLAND. 

New  Hampshire  slaves  were  very  few  in  num- 
ber. The  people*  of  this  colony  saw  the  evils  of 
slavery  very  early,  and  passed  laws  against  their 
importation.  Massachusetts  was  having  so  much 
trouble  with  her  slaves  that  the  New  Hampshire 
people  early  made  up  their  minds  that,  as  a  matter 
of  business  as  well  as  of  humanity,  they  had  best 
not  try  to  build  up  their  colony  by  dealing  in  human 
flesh  and  blood. 

Maryland  was,  up  to  1630,  a  part  of  Virginia, 
and  slavery  there  partook  of  the  same  features. 
Owing  to  the  feeling  existing  in  the  colony  between 
the  Catholics,  who  planted  it,  and  the  Protestants, 
the  slaves  were  treated  bfetter  than  in  some  other 
provinces.  Yet  their  lot  was  a  hard  one  at  best. 
By  law,  a  white  person  could  kill  a  slave,  and  not 
suffer  death;  only  pay  a  fine. 

White  Slaves  existed  in  this  colony,  many  of 
whom  came  as  criminals  from  England.  They,  it 
seems,  were  chiefly  domestic  servants,  while  the 
Negroes  worked  the  tobacco  fields. 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA.  35 


BENJAMIN    BANNEKA,    ASTRONOMER    AND 
MATHEMATICIAN. 

Banneka  was  born  in  Maryland  in  the  year  1731. 
An  English  woman  named  Molly  Welsh,  who  came 
to  Maryland  as  an  emigrant,  is  said  to  have  been 
his  maternal  grandmother.  This  woman  was  sold 
as  a  slave  to  pay  her  passage  to  this  country  on 
board  an  emigrant  ship,  and  after  serving  out  her 
term  of  slavery  she  bought  two  Negro  slaves  her- 
self. These  slaves  were  men  of  extraordinary 
powers,  both  of  mind  and  body.  One  of  them,  said 
to  be  the  son  of  an  African  king,  was  set  free  by 
her,  ancl  she  soon  married  him.  There  were  four 
children,  and  one  of  them,  named  Mary,  married  a 
native  African,  Robert  Banneka,  who  was  the  father 
of  Benjamin. 

The  School  Days  of  young  Benjamin  were  spent 
in  a  "  pay  school,"  where  some  colored  children 
were  admitted.  The  short  while  that  Benjamin 
was  there  he  learned  to  love  his  books,  and  when 
the  other  children  played  he  was  studying.  He 
was  very  attentive  to  his  duties  on  his  father's  farm, 
and  when  through  with  his  task  of  caring  for  the 
horses  and  cows,  he  would  spend  his  leisure  hours 
in  reading  boobs,  and  papers  on  the  topics  of  the 
day. 


3f>  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

The  Post-Office  was  the  famous  gathering  place 
in  those  days,  and  there  it  was  that  young  Benjamin 
was  accustomed  to  go.  He  met  many  of  the  lead- 
ing people  of  the  community,  and  fluently  discussed 
with  them  difficult  questions.  He  could  answer 
almost  any  problem  put  to  him  in  mathematics,  and 
became  known  throughout  the  colonies  as  a. genius. 
Many  of  his  answers  to  questions  were  beyond  the 
reach  of  ordinary  minds. 

Messrs.  Ellicott  &  Co.,  who  built  flour  mills  on 
the  Patapsco  River  near  Baltimore,  very  early  dis- 
covered Banneka's  genius,  and  Mr.  George  Ellicott 
allowed  him  the  use  of  his  library  and  astronomical 
instruments.  The  result  of  this  was  that  Benjamin 
Banneka  published  his  first  almanac  in  the  year 
1792,  said  to  be  the  first  almanac  published  in 
America.  Before  that  he  had  made  numerous  cal- 
culations in  astronomy  and  constructed  for  himself 
a  splendid  clock  that,  unfortunately,  was  burned 
with  his  dwelling  soon  after  his  death. 

Banneka's  Reputation  spread  all  over  America 
and  even  to  Europe.  He  drew  to  him  the  associa- 
tion of  the  best  and  most  learned  men  of  his  coun- 
try. His  ability  was  a  curiosity  to  everybody,  and 
did  much  to  establish  the  fact  that  the  Negro  of  his 
time  could  master  the  arts  and  sciences.  It  is  said 
that  he  was  the  master  of  five  different  languages, 
as  well  as  a  mathematical  and  astronomical  genius. 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA.  37 


He  accompanied    and    assisted    the  commissioners 
who  surveyed  the  District  of  Columbia. 

He  sent  Mr  Thomas  Jefferson  one  of  his  alma- 
nacs, which  Mr  J.efferson  prized  so  highly  that  he 
sent  it  to  Paris,  and  wrote  Mr.  Banneka  the  following 
letter  in  reply  Along  with  Mr.  Banneka's  almanac 
to  Mr.  Jefferson  he  sent  a  letter  pleading  for  better 
treatment  of  the  people  of  African  descent  in  the 
United  States. 

MR.  JEFFERSON'S  LETTER  TO  B.  BANNEKA. 

PHILADELPHIA,  August  30,  1791. 

"  Dear  Sir: — I  thank  you  sincerely  for  your  letter 
of  the  i  Qth  instant,  and  for  the  almanac  it  contained. 
Nobody  wishes  more  than  I  do  to  see  such  proofs 
as  you  exhibit  that  Nature  has  given  to  our  black 
brethren  talents  equal  to  those  of  the  other  colors 
of  men,  and  that  the  appearance  of  a  want  of  them 
is  owing  only  to  the  degraded  condition  of  their 
existence,  both  in  Africa  and  America  I  can  add, 
with  truth,  that  no  one  wishes  more  ardently  to  see 
a  good  system  commenced  for  raising  the  condition, 
both  of  their  body  and  mind,  to  what  it  ought  to  be, 
as  fast  as  the  imbecility  of  their  present  existence, 
and  other  circumstances  wh'ich  cannot  be  neglected, 
will  admit,  T  have  taken  the  liberty  of  sending  your 
almanac  to  Monsieur  de  Cordorat,  Secretary  of  the 
Academy  of  Sciences  at  Pans  and  member  of  the 


38  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Philanthropic  Society,  because  I  considered  it  a  doc- 
ument to  which  your  whole  color  had  a  right  for 
their  justification  against  the  doubts  which  have  been 
entertained  of  them. 

"  I  am,  with  great  esteem,  sir, 

"Your  most  obedient  servant, 

"Tnos.  JEFFERSON." 

Mr.  Benjamin  Banneka,  near  Ellicotfs 
Lower  Mills,  Baltimore  County. 

The  Personal  Appearance  of  Mr.  Banneka  is 
drawn  from  the  letters  of  those  who  wrote  about 
him.  A  certain  gentleman  who  met  him  at  Ellicott's 
Mills  gives  this  description  :  "  Of  black  complexion, 
medium  stature,  of  uncommonly  soft  and  gentle- 
manly manners,  and  of  pleasing  colloquial  powers." 

Mr.  Banneka  died  about  the  year  1804,  very 
greatly  mourned  by  the  people  of  this  country  and 
Europe.  He  left  two  sisters,  who,  according  to  his 
request,  turned  over  his  books,  papers,  and  astro- 
nomical calculations  to  Mr.  Ellicott.  There  has  been 
no  greater  mind  in  the  possession  of  any  American 
citizen  than  that  of  Benjamin  Banneka.  He  stands 
out  in  history  as  one  of  those  phenomenal  characters 
whose  achievements  seem  to  be  nothing  short  of 
miraculous. 

Frances  Ellen  Watkins  was  another  of  Mary- 
Ian  1's  bright  slaves.  She  distinguished  herself  as 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA  39 

an  anti-slavery  lecturer  in  the  Eastern  States,  and 
wrote  a  book  entitled,  "  Poems  and  Miscellaneous 
Writings;  By  Frances  Ellen  Watkins."  In  that  book 
was  the  following  poem  entitled  "  Ellen  Harris:" 

(1)  Like  a  fawn  from  the  arrow,  startled  and  wild, 
A  woman  swept  by  me  bearing  a  child  ; 

In  her  eye  was  the  night  of  a  settled  despair, 

And  her  brow  was  overshadowed  with  anguish  and  care. 

(2)  She  was  nearmg.the  nv,er,—  on  reaching  the  brink 
She  heeded  no  clanger,  she  paused  not  to  think  ! 
For  she  is  a  mother — her  child  is  a  slave,— 

And  she'll  give  him  his  freedom  or  find  him  a  grave  f 

(3)  But  she's  free,— yes,  free  from  the  land  where  the  slave 
From  the  hand  of  oppression  must  rest  in  the  grave  ; 
Where  bondage  and  torture,  where  scourges  and  chains, 
Have  placed  on  our  banner  indelible  stains. 

(4)  The  blood-hounds  have  missed  the  scent  of  her  way  ; 
The  hunter  is  rifled  and  foiled  of   his  prey  • 

Fierce  jargon  and  cursing,  with  clanking  of  chains, 
Make  sounds  of  strange  discord  on  Liberty's  plains. 

(5)  With  the  rapture  of  love  and  fulness  of  bliss, 
She  placed  on  his  brow  a  mother's  fond  kiss, — 
Oh  !  poverty,  danger,  and  death  she  can  brave, 
For  the  child  of  her  love  is  no  longer  a  slave  ! 


40  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

CHAPTER  VI. 

DELAWARE  AND  PENNSYLVANIA 

Delaware  was  settled,  as  you  will  remember,  by 
the  Swedes  and  Danes,  in  1 639.  They  were  a  sim- 
ple, contented,  and  religious  people.  It  is  recorded 
that  they  had  a  law  very  early  in  their  history  de- 
claring it  was  "  not  lawful  to  buy  and  keep  slaves." 
It  is  very  evident,  though,  that  later  on  in  the  history 
of  the  colony  slaves  were  held,  and  their  condition 
was  the  same  as  in  New  York.  While  the  north  of 
the  colony  was  perhaps  fully  in  sympathy  with  sla- 
very, the  western  part  was  influenced  by  the  relig- 
ious sentiment  of  the  Quakers  in  Pennsylvania. 

The  Friends  of  Pennsylvania  were  opposed  to 
slavery,  and  although  slavery  was  tolerated  by  law, 
the  way  was  left  open  for  their  education  and  re- 
ligious training.  In  1688,  Francis  Daniel  Pastorious* 
addressed  a  memorial  to  the  Friends  of  German- 
town.  His  was  said  to  be  the  first  protest  against 
slavery  made  by  any  of  the  churches  of  America. 
He  believed  that  "  slave  and  slave-owner  should  be 
equal  at  the  Master's  feet." 

William  Penn  showed  himself  friendly  to  the 
slaves. 

*  Williams. 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA.  41 


CHAPTER  VII. 

NORTH   CAROLINA. 

THIS  colony,  in  geographical  position,  lies  be- 
tween South  Carolina  and  Virginia.  While  it  held 
slaves,  it  may  be  justly  said  its  position  on  this  great 
question  was  not  so  burdensome  to  the  slave  as  the 
other  Southern  colonies,  and  even  to  the  present 
time  the  Negroes  and  whites  of  this  State  seem  to 
enjoy  the  most  harmonious  relations.  The  slave 
laws  of  this  State  gave  absolute  dominion  of  the 
master  over  the  servant,  but  allowed  him  to  join  the 
churches  from  the  first.  Large  communities  of  free 
Negroes  lived  in  this  State  prior  to  the  civil  war, 
and,  as  late  as  the  year  1835,  could  vote.  They  had 
some  rights  of  citizenship  and  many  of  them  became 
men  of  note. 

Prior  to  the  Civil  War  there  were  schools  for 
these  free  people.  Some  of  them  owned  slaves 
themselves.  In  this  colony  the  slaves  were  worked,, 
as  a  rule,  on  small  farms,  and  there  was  a  close  re- 
lation established  between  master  and  slave,  which 
bore  its  fruits  in  somewhat  milder  treatment  than 
was  customary  in  colonies  where  the  slave  lived  oa 


42  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

large  cotton  plantations  governed  by  cruel  over* 
seers,  some  of  whom  were  imported  from  the  North. 

The  Eastern  Section  of  North  Carolina  was 
thickly  peopled  with  slaves,  and  some  landlords 
tfwned  as  many  as  two  thousand. 

The  increase  and  surplusage  of  the  slave  popula- 
tion in  this  State  was  sold  to  the  more  Southern 
colonies,  where  they  were  used  on  the  cotton  plan- 
tations. 

A  NORTH  CAROLINA  SLAVE  POET. 

George  M.  Horton  was  his  name.  He  was  the 
slave  of  James  M.  Horton,  of  Chatham  .county,  N. 
C.  Several  of  his  special  poems  were  published  in 
the  Raleigh  Register.  In  1829,  A.  M.  Gales,  of  this 
State,  afterwards  of  the  firm  of  Gales  and  Seaton, 
Washington,  D.  C.,  published  a  volume  of  the  slave 
Morton's  poems,  which  excited  the  wonder  and  ad- 
miration of  the  best  men  in  this  country.  His 
poems  reached  Boston,  where  they  were  much  talked 
of,  and  used  as  an  argument  against  slavery.  Hor 
ton,  at  the  time  his  volume  was  published,  could 
read  but  not  write,  and  was,  therefore,  compelled  to 
dictate  his  productions  to  some  one  who  wrote  them 
down  for  him.  He  afterwards  learned  to  write. 
He  seemed  to  have  concealed  all  his  achievements 
from  his  master,  who  knew  nothing  of  his  slave's 
ability  except  what  others  told  him..  He  simply 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA.  43 

knew  George  as  a  field  hand,  which  work  he  did 
faithfully  and  honestly,  and  wrote  his  poetry  too. 
Though  a  slave,  his  was  a  noble  soul  inspired  with 
the  Muse  from  above.  The  Raleigh  Register  said 
of  him,  July  2d,  1829:  "That  his  heart  has  felt 
deeply  and  sensitively  in  this  lowest  possible  condi- 
tion of  human  nature  (meaning  slavery)  will  be 
easily  believed,  and  is  impressively  confirmed  by 
one  of  hi$  stanzas,  viz. : 


"  Come,  melting  pity  from  afar, 
And  break  this  vast,  enormous  bar 

Between  a  wretch  and  thee ; 
Purchase  a  few  short  days  of  time, 
And  bid  a  vassal  soar  sublime 
On  wings  of  Liberty." 


44  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

SOUTH  CAROLINA. 

CHARTERS  for  the  settlement  of  North  and  South 
Carolina  were  obtained  at  the  same  time — 1663. 
Slavery  commenced  with  the  colony.  Owing  to  the 
peculiar  fitness  of  the  soil  for  the  production  of  rice 
and  cotton,  slave  labor  was  in  great  demand.  White 
labor  failed,  and  the  colony  was  marvellously  pros- 
perous under  the  slave  system.  Negroes  were  im- 
ported from  Africa  by  the  thousands.  Their  labor 
proved  very  productive,  and  here  it  was  that  the 
slave  code  reached  its  maximum  of  harshness. 

A  Negro  Regiment  in  the  service  of  Spain  was 
doing  duty  in  Florida,  and  through  it  the  Spanish, 
who  were  at  dagger's  ends  with  the  British  colonies, 
sent  out  spies  who  offered  inducements  to  such  of 
the  South  Carolina  slaves  as  would  run  away  and 
join  them.  Many  slaves  ran  away.  Very  rigid  and 
extreme  laws  were  passed  to  prevent  slaves  from 
running  away,  such  as  branding,  and  cutting  the 
"  ham-string  "  of  the  leg. 

A  Riot  followed  the  continued  cruel  treatment 
of  the  slaves  under  the  runaway  code  ;  i  748  is  said 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA.  45 

to  have  been  the  year  in  which  a  crowd  of  slaves 
assembled  in  the  village  of  Stono,  slew  the  guards 
at  the  arsenal  and  secured  the  ammunition  there. 
They  then  marched  to  the  homes  of  several  leading 
men  whom  they  murdered,  together  with  their  wives 
and  children.  The  slaves  captured  considerable 
rum  in  their  plundering  expedition,  and  having  in- 
dulged very  freely,  stopped  for  a  frolic,  and  in  the 
midst  of  their  hilarity  were  captured  by  the  whites, 
and  thus  ended  the  riot. 

The  Discontent  of  the  Slaves  grew,  however, 
in  spite  of  the  speedy  ending  of  this  attempt  at  in- 
surrection. Cruel  and  inhuman  treatment  was  bear- 
ing its  fruits  in  a  universal  dissatisfaction  of  the 
slaves,  and  in  South  Carolina,  as  in  Massachusetts, 
it  began  to  be  a  serious  question  as  to  what  side  the 
slaves  would  take  in  the  war  of  the  coming  Revolu 
tion.  England  offered  freedom  and  money  to  slaves 
who  would  join  her  army.  The  people  of  South 
Carolina  did  not  wait  long  before  they  allowed  the 
Negroes  to  enlist  in  defence  of  the  colonies,  and 
highly  complimented  their  valor.  If  a  slave  killed 
a  Briton  he  was  emancipated  ;  if  he  were  taken 
prisoner  and  escaped  back  into  the  Province,  he  was 
also  set  free. 


46  ^  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 


CHAPTER    IX. 

GEORGIA. 

FROM  the  time  of  its  settlement  in  1732  till  1750 
this  colony  held  no  slaves.  Many  of  the  inhabitants 
were  anxious  for  the  introduction  of  slaves,  and 
when  the  condition  of  the  colony  finally  became 
hopeless  they  sent  many  long  petitions  to  the  Trus- 
tees, stating  that  "  the  one  thing  needful "  for  their 
prosperity  was  Negroes.  It  was  a  long  time  before 
the  Trustees  would  give  their  consent ;  they  said  that 
the  colony  of  Georgia  was  designed  to  be  a  protec- 
tion to  South  Carolina  and  the  other  more  Northern 
colonies  against  the  Spanish,  who  were  then  occupy- 
ing Florida,  and  if  the  colonists  had  to  control  slaves 
it  would  weaken  their  power  to  defend  themselves. 
Finally,  owing  to  the  hopeless  condition  of  the 
Georgia  colony,  the  Trustees  yielded.  Slaves  were 
introduced  in  large  numbers, 

Prosperity  came  with  the  slaves,  and,  as  in  the 
case  of  Virginia,  the  colony  of  Georgia  took  a  fresh 
start  and  began  to  prosper.  White  labor  proved  a 
failure.  It  was  the  honest  and  faithful  toil  of  the 
Negro  that  turned  the  richness  of  Georgia's  soil  into 


NEGRO  RACE  TN  AMERICA.  47 

English  gold,  built  cities  and  created  large  estates, 
gilded  mansions  furnished  with  gold  and  silver 
plate.* 

Oglethorpe  Planned  the  Georgia  colony  as  a 
home  for  Englishmen  who  had  failed  in  business  and 
were  imprisoned  for  their  debts.  These  English 
people  were  out  of  place  in  the  wild  woods  of 
America,  and  continued  a  failure  in  America,  as  well 
as  in  England,  until  the  toiling  but  "  heathen  "  Afri- 
can came  to  their  aid. 

Cotton  Plantations  were  numerous  in  Georgia 
under  the  slave  system.  The  slave-owners  had 
large  estates,  numbering  thousands  of  acres  in  many 
cases.  The  slaves  were  experts  in  the  culture  of 
cotton.  The  climate  was  adapted  to  sugar-cane  and 
rice,  both  of  which  were  raised  in  abundance. 


*  The  famous  minister,  George  Whitfield,  referring  to  his  plantation  in 
this  colony,  said  :  "  Upward  of  five  thousand  pounds  have  been  expended  in 
the  undertaking,  and  yet  very  little  proficiency  made  in  the  cultivation  of  my 
tract  of  land,  and  that  entirely  owing  to  the  necessity  I  lay  under  of  making 
use  of  white  hands.  Had  a  Negro  been  allowed  I  should  now  have  had  a 
sufficiency  to  support  a- great  many  orphans,  without  expending  above  half  the 
sum  which  had  been  laid  out."  He  purchased  a  plantation  in  South  Caro- 
lina, where  slavery  existed,  and  speaks  of  it  thus:  "Blessed  be  God!  This 
plantation  has  succeeded;  and  though  at  present  I  have  unly  eight  working 
hands,  yet,  in  all  probability,  there  will  be  more  raised  in  one  year,  and  with- 
out a  quarter  of  the  expense,  than  has  been  produced  at  Bethesda  for  several 
years  past.  This  confirms  me  in  the  opinion  I  have  entertained  for  a  long 
time,  that  Georgia  never  can  or  will  be  a  flourishing  province  without  Ne- 
groes are  allowed" 


48  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

BLOUNT'S    FORT. 

This  fortification,  erected  by  some  of  the  armies 
during  the  early  colonial  wars,  had  been  abandoned. 
It  lies  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Apaiachicola  river  in 
Florida,  forty  miles  from  the  Georgia  line.  Negro 
refugees  from  Georgia  fled  into  the  everglades  of 
Florida  as  a  hiding-place  during  the  war  of  the 
Revolution.  In  these  swamps  'they  remained  for 
forty  years  successfully  baffling  all  attempts  to  re- 
enslave  them.  Many  of  those  who  planned  the 
escape  at  first  were  now  dead,  and  their  children  had 
grown  up  to  hate  the  lash  and  love  liberty.  Their 
parents  had  taught  them  that  to  die  in  the  swamps 
with  liberty  was  better  than  to  feast  as  a  bondman 
and  a  slave.  When  Blount's  Fort  was  abandoned 
and  taken  possension  of  by  these  children  of  the 
swamp,  there  were  three  hundred  and  eleven  of 
them,  out  of  which  not  more  than  twenty  had  ever 
been  slaves.  They  were  joined  by  other  slaves  who 
ran  away  as  chance  permitted.  The  neighboring 
slave-holders  attempted  to  capture  these  people  but 
failed.  They  finally  called  on  the  President  of  the 
United  States  for  aid.  General  Jackson,  then  com- 
mander of  the  Southern  militia,  delegated  Lieuten- 
ant Colonel  Clinch  to  take  the  fort  and  reduce 
these  people  to  slavery  again.  His  sympathies 
being  with  the  refugees,  he  marched  to  the  fort  and 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA.  49 

returned,  reporting  that  "  the  fortification  was  not 
accessible  by  land." 

Commodore  Patterson  next  received  orders. 
He  commanded  the  American  fleet,  then  lying  in 
Mobile  Bay.  A  "  sub-order  was  given  instantly  to 
Lieutenant  Loomis  to  ascend  the  Apalachicola  river 
with  two  gun-boats,  to  seize  the  people  in  Blount's 
Fort,  deliver  them  to  their  owners,  and  destroy  the 
fort."  At  early  dawn  on  the  morning  of  September 
the  1 7th,  1816,  the  two  boats,  with  full  sail  catching 
a  gentle  breeze,  moved  up  the  river  towards  the  fort. 
They  lowered  a  boat  on  their  arrival  and  twelve 
men  went  ashore.  They  were  met  at  the  water's 
edge  and  asked  their  errand  by  a  number  of  the 
leading  men  of  the  fort.  Lieutenant  Loomis  in- 
formed them  that  he  came  to  destroy  the  fort  and 
turn  over  its  inmates  to  the  "  slave-holders,  then  on 
board  the  gun-boat,  who  claimed  them  as  fugitive 
slaves."  The  demand  was  rejected.  The  colored 
men  returned  to  the  fort  and  informed  the  inmates. 
Great  consternation  prevailed.  The  women  were 
much  distressed,  but  amid  the  confusion  and  ex- 
citement there  appeared  an  aged  father  whose  back 
bore  the  print  of  the  lash,  and  whose  shoulder  bore 
the  brand  of  his  master.  He  assured  the  people 
that  the  fort  could  not  be  taken,  and  ended  his 
speech  with  these  patriotic  words  :  "Give  me  liberty, 
or  give  me  death.'*  The  shout  went  up  from  the 


50  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

entire  fort  as  from  one  man,  and  they  prepared  to 
fac*e  the  enemy. 

The  Gun-boats  Soon  Opened  Fire.  For  sev- 
eral hours  they  buried  balls  in  the  earthen  walls 
and  injured  no  one.  Bombs  were  then  fired.  These 
had  more  effect,  as  there  was  no  shelter  from  them. 
Mothers  were  more  careful  to  hug  their  young 
babies  closer  to  their  bosoms.  All  this  seemed  little 
more  than  sport  for  the  inmates  of  the  fort,  who  saw 
nothing  but  a  joke  in  it  after  shelter  had  been 
found. 

Lieutenant  Loomis  saw  his  failure.  He  had  a 
consultation,  and  it  was  agreed  to  fire  "  hot  shot  at 
the  magazine.''  So  the  furnaces  were  heated  and 
the  fiery  flames  began  to  whizz  through  the  air. 
This  last  stroke  was  effectual ;  the  hot  shot  set  the 
magazine  on  fire,  and  a  terrible  explosion  covered 
the  entire  place  with  debris.  Many  were  instantly 
killed  by  the  falling  earth  and  timbers.  The  man- 
gled limbs  of  mothers  and  babies  lay  side  by  side. 
It  was  now  dark.  Fifteen  persons  in  the  fort  had 
survived  the  explosion.  The  sixty  sailors  and  offi- 
cers now  entered,  trampling  over  the  wounded  and 
dying,  and  took  these  fifteen  refugees  in  handcuffs 
and  ropes  back  to  the  boats.  The  dead,  wounded 
and  dying  were  left. 

As  the  two  boats  moved  away  from  this  scene  of 
carnage  the  sight  weakened  the  veteran  sailors  oa 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA.  51 

board  the  boats,  and  when  the  officers  retired  these 
weather-worn  sailor  veterans  "gathered  before  the 
mast,  and  loud  and  bitter  were  the  curses  uttered 
against  slavery  and  against  the  officers  of  the  govern- 
ment who  had  thus  constrained  them  to  murder  inno- 
cent women  and  helpless  children,  merely  for  their 
love  of  liberty." 

The  Dead  Remained  unburied  in  the  fort.  The 
wounded  and  dying  were  not  cared  for,  and  all  were 
left  as  fat  prey  for  vultures  to  feast  upon.  For 
fifty  years  afterward  the  bones  of  these  brave  people 
lay  bleaching  in  the  sun.  Twenty  years  after  the 
murder  a  Representative  in  Congress  from  one  of 
the  free  States  introduced  a  bill  giving  a  gratuity 
to  the  perpetrators  of  this  crime.  The  bill  passed 
both  houses. 


Having  briefly  considered  the  establishment  of 
slavery  in  the  colonies,  where  the  Negro  slave  was 
employed  in  every  menial  occupation,  and  where 
he  accepted  the  conditions  imposed  upon  him  with 
a  full  knowledge  of  the  wrong  done,  but  still  jubi- 
lant with  songs  of  hope  for  deliverance,  and  trust 
in  God,  whose  promises  are  many  to  the  faithful, 
let  us  turn  to 

The  War  of  the  Revolution,  which  soon  came 


52 


A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 


on ;  and  in  it  Providence  no  doubt  designed  an 
opportunity  for  the  race  to  loosen  the  rivets  in  the 
chains  that  bound  them.  They  made  good  use  of 
this  opportunity. 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA.  53 


.     ' 
CHAPTER  X. 


HABITS  AND  CUSTOMS  OF  THE  SOUTHERN 
COLONIES. 

Barnes  gives  the  following  account  of  the  habits 
and  customs  of  the  Southern  colonies  during  the 
days  of  slavery : 

"  The  Southern  Colonists  differed  widely  from 
the  Northern  in  habits  and  style  of  living.  In  place 
of  thickly-settled  towns  and  villages,  they  had  large 
plantations,  and  were  surrounded  by  a  numerous 
household  of  servants.  The  Negro  quarters  formed 
a  hamlet  apart,  with  its  gardens  and  poultry  yards. 
An  estate  in  those  days  was  a  little  empire.  The 
planter  had  among  his  slaves  men  of  every  trade, 
and  they  made  most  of  the  articles  needed  for  com- 
mon use  upon  the  plantation.  There  were  large 
sheds  for  curing  tobacco,  and  mills  for  grinding 
corn  and  wheat.  The  tobacco  was  put  up  and  con- 
signed directly  to  England.  The  flour  of  the  Mount 
Vernon  estate  was  packed  under  the  eye  of  Wash- 
ington himself,  and  we  are  told  that  barrels  of  flour 
bearing  his  brand  passed  in  the  West  India  market 
without  inspection, 


64  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

"Up  the  Ashley  and  Cooper  (near  Charles- 
ton) were  the  remains  of  the  only  bonafide  nobility 
ever  established  on  our  soil.  There  the  descend- 
ants of  the  Landgraves,  who  received  their  title  in 
accordance  with  Locke's  grand  model,  occupied 
their  manorial  dwellings.  Along  the  banks  of  the 
James  and  Rappahannock  the  plantation  often 
passed  from  father  to  son,  according  to  the  law  of 
entail. 

41  The  heads  of  these  great  Southern  families  lived 
like  lords,  keeping  their  packs  of  choice  hunting 
dogs,  and  their  stables  of  blooded  horses,  and  roll- 
ing to  church  or  town  in  their  coach  of  six,  with 
outriders  on  horseback.  Their  spacious  mansions 
were  sometimes  built  of  imported  brick.  Within, 
the  grand  staircases,  the  mantels,  and  the  wainscot 
reaching  in  a  quaint  fashion  from  floor  to  ceiling, 
were  of  mahogany  elaborately  carved  and  paneled. 
The  sideboards  shone  with  gold  and  silver  plate 
and  the  tables  were  loaded  with  the  luxuries  of  the 
Old  World.  Negro  servants  thronged  about,  ready 
to  perform  every  task. 

44  All  labor  was  done  by  Slaves,  it  being  con- 
sidered degrading  for  a  white  man  to  work.  Even 
the  superintendence  of  the  plantation  and  slaves 
was  generally  committed  to  overseers,  while  the 
master  dispensed  a  generous  hospitality,  and  occu- 
pied himself  with  social  and  political  life." 


NEGRO  RACE  TN  AMERICA.  55 

SLAVERY  INTRODUCED  IN  THE  COLONIES. 

In  Virginia,  the  last  of  August,  1619. 

In  New  York,  1628. 

In  Massachusetts,  1637. 

In  Maryland,  )  634. 

In  Delaware,  1636. 

In  Connecticut,  between  1631  and  1636. 

In  Rhode  Island  from  the  beginning,  1647. 

New  Jersey,  not  known ;  as  early  though  as  m] 
New  Netherland. 

South  Carolina  and  North  Carolina  from  the  ear- 
liest days  of  existence. 

In  New  Hampshire,  slavery  existed  from  the  be- 
ginning. 

Pennsylvania  doubtful. 


56  A  SCHOOL  H1STOR  Y  OF  THE 


CHAPTER  XI. 

NEGRO  SOLDIERS  IN  REVOLUTIONARY 
TIMES. 

Objections  to  Enlisting  Negroes  caused  much 
discussion  at  the  beginning  of  the  Revolutionary 
war.  The  Northern  colonies  partially  favored  their 
enlistment  because  they  knew  of  their  bravery,  and 
rightly  reasoned  that  if  the  Negroes  were  not  allowed 
to  enlist  in  the  Colonial  army,  where  their  sympa- 
thies were,  they  would  accept  the  propositions  of 
the  British,  who  promised  freedom  to  every  slave 
who  would  desert  his  master  and  join  the  English 
;army. 

Lord  Dunmore,  Governor  of  Virginia,  and  the 
other  British  leaders,  saw  a  good  chance  to  weaken 
the  strength  of  the  colonies  by  offering  freedom  to 
the  slaves  if  they  would  fight  for  England.  They 
knew  that  the  slaves  would  be  used  to  throw  up 
fortifications,  do  fatigue  duties,  and  raise  the  provi- 
sions necessary  to  support  the  Colonial  army.  So 
Lord  Dunmore  issued  a  proclamation  offering  free- 
dom to  all  slaves  who  would  join  his  army.  As  the 
result  of  this,  Thomas  Jefferson  is  quoted  as  saying 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA.  57 

that  30,000  Negroes  from  Virginia  alone  joined  the 
British  ranks. 

The  Americans  became  fearful  of  the  results 
that  were  sure  to  follow  the  plans  of  Lord  Dun- 
more.  Sentiment  began  to  change  in  the  Negro's 
favor ;  the  newspapers  were  filled  with  kind  words 
for  the  slaves,  trying  to  convince  them  that  the 
British  Government  had  forced  slavery  upon  the 
colonies  against  their  will,  and  that  their  best  inte- 
rests were  centred  in  the  triumph  of  the  Colonial 
army/  A  part  of  an  article  in  one  paper,  headed 
"  Caution  to  the  Negro,"  read  thus:  "Can  it,  then, 
be  supposed  that  the  Negroes  will  be  better  used 
by  the  English,  who  have  always  encouraged  and 
upheld  this  slavery,  than  by  their  present  masters, 
who  pity  their  condition ;  who  wish  in  general  to 
make  it  as  easy  and  comfortable  as  possible,  and 
who  would,  were  it  in  their  power,  or  were  they  per- 
mitted, not  only  prevent  any  inore  Negroes  from 
losing  their  freedom,  but  restore  it  to  such  as  have 
already  unhappily  lost  it.  ....  They  will  send  the 
Negroes  to  the  West  Indies  where  every  year  they 
sell  many  thousands  of  their  miserable  brethren. 
Be  not  tempted,  ye  Negroes,  to  ruin  yourselves  by 
this  proclamation  !"  The  colonies  finally  allowed 
the  enlistment  of  Negroes,  their  masters  being  paid 
for  them  out  of  the  public  treasury.  Those  slaves 
who  had  already  joined  the  British  were  offered 


68  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

pardon  if  they  would  escape  and  return,  and  a  severe 
punishment  was  to  be  inflicted  on  those  who  left  the 
colony  if  they  were  caught. 

To  Offset  the  Plans  of  Lord  Dunmore,  the 
Americans  proposed  to  organize  a  Negro  army,  to 
be  commanded  by  the  brave  Colonel  Laurens  ;  and 
on  this  subject  the  following  letter  was  addressed  to 
John  Jay,  President  of  Congress,  by  the  renowned 
Alexander  Hamilton.  This  letter  also  shows  in 
what  esteem  the  Negro  slave  of  America  was  held 
by  men  of  note : 

"  HEADQUARTERS,  March  14,  1779. 
"  To.  John  Jay. 

"DEAR  SIR:: — Col.  Laurens,  who  will  have  the 
honor  of  delivering  you  this  letter,  is  on  his  way  to 
South  Carolina  on  a  project  which  I  think,  in  the 
present  situation  of  affairs  there,  is  a  very  good  one, 
and  deserves  every  kind  of  support  and  encourage- 
ment. This  is,  to  raise  two,  or  three,  or  four  battalions 
of  Negroes,  with  the  assistance  of  the  government 
of  that  State,  by  contributions  from  the  owners  in 
proportion  to  the  number  they  possess.  If  you 
think  proper  to  enter  upon  the  subject  with  him,  he 
will  give  you  a  detail  of  his  plan.  He  wishes  to  have 
it  recommended  by  Congress  and  the  State,  and,  as 
an  inducement,  they  should  engage  to  take  those 
battalions  into  Continental  pay. 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA.  50 

"It  appears  to  me  that  an  experiment  of  this  kind, 
in  the  present  state  of  Southern  affairs,  is  the  most 
rational  that  can  be  adopted,  and  promises  very 
important  advantages.  Indeed,  I  hardly  see  how  a 
sufficient  force  can  be  collected  in  that  quarter 
without  it,  and  the  enemy's  operations  are  growing 
infinitely  more  serious  and  formidable.  I  have  not 
the  least  doubt  that  the  Negroes  will  make  very 
excellent  soldiers  with  proper  management,  and  I 
will  venture  to  pronounce  that  they  cannot  be  put 
in  better  hands  than  those  of  Mr.  Laurens.  He  has 
all  the  zeal,  intelligence,  enterprise,  and  every  other 
qualification  necessary  to  succeed  in  such  an  under- 
taking. It  is  a  maxim  with  some  great  military 
judges  that,  "with  sensible  officers,  soldiers  can 
hardly  be  too  stupid ;  "  and,  on  this  principle,  it  is 
thought  that  the  Russians  would  make  the  best 
troops  in  the  world  if  they  were  under  other  officers 
than  their  own.  I  mention  this,  because  I  hear  it 
frequently  objected  to  the  scheme  of  embodying 
Negroes,  that  they  are  too  stupid  to  make  soldiers. 
This  is  so  far  from  appearing,  to  me,  a  valid  objec- 
tion, that  I  think  their  want  of  cultivation  (for  their 
natural  faculties  are  probably  as  good  as  ours), 
joined  to  that  habit  of  subordination  from  a  life  of 
servitude,  will  make  them  sooner  become  soldiers 
than  our  white  inhabitants.  Let  officers  be  men 
of  sense  and  sentiment,  and  the  nearer  the  soldiers 
approach  to  machines  perhaps  the  better. 


60  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

"I  foresee  that  this  project  will  have  to  combat 
much  opposition  from  prejudice  and  self-interest. 
The  contempt  we  have  been  taught  to  entertain  for 
the  blacks  makes  us  fancy  many  things  that  are 
founded  neither  in  reason  nor  experience,  and  an 
unwillingness  to  part  with  property  of  so  valuable  a 
kind  will  furnish  a  thousand  arguments  to  show  the 
impracticability  or  pernicious  tendency  of  a  scheme 
which  requires  such  a  sacrifice.  But  it  should  be 
considered  that  if  we  do  not  make  use  of  them  in 
this  way  the  enemy  probably  will,  and  that  the  best 
way  to  counteract  the  temptations  they  hold  out  will 
be  to  offer  them  ouYselves.  An  essential  part  of 
the  plan  is  to  give  them  their  freedom  with  their 
muskets.  This  will  secure  their  fidelity,  animate 
their  courage,  and,  I  believe,  will  have  a  good  influ- 
ence upon  those  who  remain  by  opening  a  door  to 
their  emancipation.  This  circumstance,  I  confess, 
has  no  small  weight  in  inducing  me  to  wish  the  suc- 
cess of  the  project,  for  the  dictates  of  humanity  and 
true  policy  equally  interest  me  in  favor  of  this  un- 
fortunate class  of  men.  With  the  truest  respect 
and  esteem,  I  am,  sir, 

"  Your  most  obedient  servant, 

"ALEX.  HAMILTON." 

George  Washington,  James  Madison,  and  the 

continental  Congress  gave  their  consent  to  the  plan 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AM  EMC  A.  61 

of  Col.  Laurens,  and  recommended  it  to  the  South- 
ern Colonies.  It  was  resolved  by  Congress  to  com- 
pensate the  master  for  the  slaves  used  by  Col.  Lau- 
rens at  the  rate  of  $1000  apiece  for  each  "able- 
bodied  Negro  man  of  standard  size,  not  exceeding 
thirty-five  years  of  age,  who  shall  be  so  enlisted 
and  pass  muster.  That  no  pay  be  allowed  to  the 
said  Negroes,  but  that  they  be  clothed  and  .sub- 
sisted at  the  expense  of  the  United  States;  that 
every  Negro  who  shall  well  and  faithfully  serve 
as  a  soldier  to  the  end  of  the  present  war,  and  shall 
then  return  his  arms,  shall  be  emancipated  and 
receive  the  sum  of  fifty  dollars." 

Congress  commissioned  Col.  Laurens  to  carry 
out  this  plan.  "  He  repaired  to  South  Carolina 
and  threw  all  his  energies  into  his  noble  mis- 
sion." The  people  of  the  States  of  Georgia  and 
South  Carolina  refused  to  co-operate  with  him.  It 
was  difficult  to  get  white  trcfbps  to  enlist.  The 
Tories,  who  opposed  the  war  against  England, 
were  very  strong  in  several  of  the  Southern  colo- 
nies. 

A  Letter  from  General  Washington  will  help 
us  to  understand  the  condition  of  affairs  in  South 
Carolina  and  Georgia.  He  wrote  to  Col.  Laurens 
as  follows:  "I  must  confess  that  I  am  not  at  all 
astonished  at  the  failure  of  your  plan.  That  spirit 
of  freedom  which,  at  the  commencement  of  this! 


62  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

contest,  would  have  gladly  sacrificed  everything  to 
the  attainment  of  its  object,  has  long  since  subsided, 
and  every  selfish  passion  has  taken  its  place.  It  is 
not  the  public  but  private  interest  which  influences 
the  generality  of  mankind,  nor  can  the  Americans 
any  longer  boast  an  exception.  Under  these  cir- 
cumstances it  would  rather  have  been  surprising 
if  you  had  succeeded,  nor  will  you,  I  fear,  have 
better  success  in  Georgia." 

Col.  Laurens  was  killed  in  battle,  but  he  had  not 
entirely  abandoned  his  plan  of  enlisting  the  slaves. 
But  in  spite  of  the  recommendations  of  Congress, 
he  could  not  succeed,  for  the  States  of  South  Caro- 
lina and  Georgia  coveted  their  slaves  too  much  to 
allow  this  entering  wedge  to  their  ultimate  freedom, 
Had  his  plan  been  carried  out,  slavery  would  prob- 
ably have  been  abolished  as  soon  at  the  South  as  at 
the  North.  The  Negroes  who  would  have  come 
out  of  the  war  of  trfe  Revolution  would  have  set 
themselves  to  work  to  relieve  the  condition  of  their 
brethren  in  shackles. 

Connecticut  Failed  to  endorse  the  enlistment  of 
Negroes  by  its  Legislature,  but  Mr.  Williams  in  his 
history  gives  the  roster  of  a- company  of  Negroes  in 
that  State,  numbering  fifty-seven,  with  David  Hum- 
phreys, Captain.  White  officers  refused  to  serve  in 
the  company.  David  Humphreys  continued  at  the 
head  of  this  force  until  the  war  closed. 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA.  63 


CHAPTER  XII. 

NEGRO  HEROES  OF  THE  REVOLUTION. 

Among  Those  whose  blood  was  first  shed  for 
the  cause  of  American  liberty  was  the  runaway  slave, 
Crispus  Attucks,  Having  -escaped  from  his  master, 
Wjlliam  Brown,  of  Framingham,  Massachusetts,  at 
the  age  of  twenty-seven,  being  then  six  feet  two 
inches  high,  with  "short,  curled  hair,"  he  made  his 
way  to  Boston.  His  master  in  1750  offered  a 
reward  of  ten  pounds  for  him,  but  Crispus  was  not 
found.  When  next  heard  from  he  turns  up  in  the 
streets  of  Boston. 

THE   LEADER   WHO   FELL   IN   THE   FAMOUS   BOSTON 
MASSACRE. 

Attucks  had  no  doubt  been  listening  to  the  fiery 
eloquence  of  the  patriots  of  those  burning  times. 
The  words  of  the  eloquent  Otis  had  kindled  his  soul, 
and  though  a  runaway  slave,  his  patriotism  was  so 
deep  that  he  it  was  who  sacrificed  his  life  first  on  the 
altar  of  American  Liberty. 

General  Gage,  the  English  commander,  had 
taken  possession  of  Boston.  Under  the  British  flag 


A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 


I 
5 


NEGRO  RACE  IX  AMERICA.  65 

gaily  dressed  soldiers  marched  the  streets  of  Boston 
as  through  a  conquered  city  ;  iheir  every  act  was  an 
insult  to  the  inhabitants.  Finally,  on  March  5,  1 770, 
Crispus  Attucks,  at  the  head  of  a  crowd  of  citizens, 
resolved  no  longer  to  be  insulted,  and  determining 
to  resist  any  invasion  of  their  rights  as  citizens,  a 
fight  soon  ensued  on  the  street.  The  troops  were 
ordered  to  fire  on  the  "  mob,"  and  Attucks  fell,  the 
first  one,  with  three  others,  Caldwell,  Gray,  and 
Maverick.  The  town  bell  was  rung,  the  alarm 
given  and  citizens  from  the  country  ran  into  Boston, 
where  the  greatest  excitement  prevailed. 

The  Burial  of  Attucks,  the  only  unknown  dead, 
was  from  Faneuil  Hall.  The  funeral  procession 
was  enormous,  and  many  of  the  best  citizens  of  Bos- 
ton readily  followed  this  former  slave  and  unknown 
hero  to  an  honored  grave.  Many  orators  spoke  in 
the  highest  terms  of  Crispus  Attucks.  A  verse 
mentioning  him  reads  thus  : 


Long  as  in  freedom's  cause  the  wise  contend, 
Dear  to  your  country  shall  your  fame  extend  ; 
While  to  the  world  the  lettered  stone  shall  tell 
Where  Caldwell,  Attucks,  Gray  and  Maverick  fell." 


66  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 


Peter  Salem  shoots  Major  Pitcairn  at  Bunker  Hill. 

Bunker  Hill  was  the  scene  of  a  brave  deed  by 
a  Negro  soldier.  Major  Pitcairn  was  commander 
of  the  British  forces  there.  The  battle  was  fierce ; 
victory  seemed  sure  to  the  English,  when  Pitcairn 
mounted  an  eminence,  shouting  triumphantly,  "The 
day  is  ours."  At  this  moment  the  Americans  stood 
as  if  dumfounded,  when  suddenly,  with  the  leap  of 
a  tiger,  there  rushed  forth  Peter  Salem,  who  fired 
directly  at  the  officer's  breast  and  killed  him.  Salem 
was  said  to  have  been  a  slave,  of  Framingham,  Mas- 
sachusetts. General  Warren,  who  was  killed  in  this 
battle,  greatly  eulogized  Crispus  Attucks  for  his 
bravery  in  Boston,  and  had  he  not  been  stricken 
down  so  soon,  Peter  Salem  would  doubtless  also 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA.  67 

have   received  high  encomiums  from  his  eloquent 
lips. 

Five  Thousand  Negroes  are  said  to  have 
fought  on  the  side  of  the  colonies  during  the  Revo- 
lution. Most  of  them  were  from  the  northern 
colonies.  There  were,  possibly,  50,000  Negroes  en- 
listed on  the  side  of  Great  Britain,  and  30,000  of 
these  were  from  Virginia. 

SOME    INDIVIDUALS    OF    REVOLUTIONARY    TIMES. 

Primus  Hall,  was  body-servant  of  Colonel  Pick- 
ering in  Massachusetts.  General  Washington  was 
quite  intimate  with  the  Colonel  and  paid  him  many 
visits.  On  one  occasion,  Washington  continued  his 
visit  till  a  late  hour,  and  being  assured  by  Primus 
that  there  were  blankets  enough  to  accommodate 
him,  he  resolved  to  spend  the  night  in  the  Colonel's 
quarters.  Accordingly  two  beds  of  straw  were  made 
down,  and  Washington  and  Colonel  Pickering  re- 
tired, leaving  Primus  engaged  about  the  tent.  Late 
in  the  night  General  Washington  awoke,  and  seeing 
Primus  sitting  on  a  box  nodding,  rose  up  in  his  bed 
and  said  :  "  Primus,  what  did  you  mean  by  saying  that 
you  had  blankets  enough  ?  Have  you  given  up  your 
blanket  and  straw  to  me,  that  I  may  sleep  comfort- 
ably while  you  are  obliged  to  sit  through  the  night?" 
"It's  nothing/'  said  Primus;  "  don't  trouble  yourself. 


68  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

about  me,  General,  but  go  to  sleep  again.  No  mat- 
ter about  me  ;  I  sleep  very  good."  "  But  it  is  mat- 
ter ;  it  is  matter,"  replied  Washington,  earnestly. 
"I  cannot  do  it,  Primus.  If  either  is  to  sit  up,  I  will. 
But  I  think  there  is  no  need  of  either  sitting  up. 
The  blanket  is  wide  enough  for  two ;  come  and  lie 
down  here  with  me."  "  O,  no,  General,"  said  Pri- 
mus ;  "  let  me  sit  here  ;  I'll  do  very  well  on  the  box." 
Washington  said,  "  I  say,  come  and  lie  down  here  \ 
There  is  room  for  both,  and  I  insist  upon  it."  And, 
as  he  spoke,  he  threw  up  the  blanket  and  moved 
to  one  side  of  the  straw.  Primus  hesitated,  but 
Washington  continuing  to  insist,  Primus  finally  pre- 
pared himself  and  laid  down  by  Washington,  and 
on  the  same  straw,  and  under  the  same  blanket, 
where  the  General  and  the  Negro  servant  slept  till 
morning. 

Washington  is  said  to  have  been  out  walking 
one  day  in  company  with  some  distinguished  gentle- 
men, and  during  the  walk  he  met  an  old  colored 
man,  who  very  politely  tipped  his  hat  and  spoke  to 
the  General.  Washington,  in  turn,  took  off  his  hat 
to  the  colored  man,  on  seeing  which  one  of  the  com- 
pany, in  a  jesting  manner,  inquired  of  the  General 
if  he  usually  took  off  his  hat  to  Negroes.  Where- 
upon Washington  replied  :  "  Politeness  is  cheap,  and 
I  never  allow  any  one  to  be  more  polite  to  me  than 
I  to  him/1 


NEGRO  RACE  IX  AMERICA. 


Brave  Colored  Artilleryman. 

Judge  Story  gives  an  account  of  a  colored  ar- 
tilleryman who  was  in  charge  of  a  cannon  with  a 
white  soldier  at  Bunker  Hill.  He  had  one  arm  so 
badly  wounded  he  could  not  use  it  He  suggested 
to  the  white  soldier  that  he  change  sides  so  as  to 
use  the  other  arm.  He  did  this ;  and  while  thus 
laboring  under  pain  and  loss  of  blood,  a  shot  came 
which  killed  him. 

Prince appears  in  the  attempt  to  capture 

General  Prescott,  of  the  Royal  army,  stationed  at 
Newport,  R.  I.  General  Lee,  of  the  American  forces, 
was  held  as  a  prisoner  by  the  British,  and  it  was 
designed  to  capture  Prescott  so  as  to  be  able  to 
give  him  in  exchange  for  Lee.  Colonel  Barton 
planned  the  scheme,  and  set  out  to  Prescott' s  sleep- 


70  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

ing  apartments  in  the  night.  Prince  followed  the 
lead  of  Colonel  Barton  to  the  door.  There  the  sen- 
tinel was  seized  with  his  bayonet  at  the  Colonel's 
breast,  and  ordered  to  be  silent  on  pain  of  death, 
when  Prince  came  forward  and  with  two  strokes  at 
the  door  with  his  head  it  came  open.  Prescott  was 
seized  by  Prince  while  in  bed  and  made  a  prisoner. 
Colonel  Barton  was  presented  an  elegant  sword  for 
this  brave  exploit  which  Prince  achieved. 

Prince  Whipple  appears,  as  a  body-guard,  on 
the  picture  entitled  "  Washington  Crossing  the  Del- 
aware.'1 

L.    LATHAM. 

New  London,  Connecticut,  was  taken  by  the 
British  under  command  of  Arnold,  the  traitor,  in 
1781.  The  American  troops  retreated  to  Fort  Gro 
ton,  where  the  American  commander  Ledyard  was 
in  command.  The  British  came  up  and  overcame 
the  Americans  after  a  bold  resistance.  The  British 
officer  vainly  strode  into  the  ramparts  and  said, 
"Who  commands  this  fort?"  Ledyard  replied,  "  I 
once  did;  you  do  now,"  handing  the  Briton  his 
sword  at  the  same  time,  which  he  took  and  ran 
through  Ledyard  up  to  the  hilt.  L.  Latham,  a  Ne- 
gro slave,  stood  near  the  American.  Scarcely  had 
the  British  officer  s  hand  left  the  murderous  hilt  when 
Latham  run  him  through  with  his  bayonet.  The 


XEGRO  RACE  IX  AMERICA.  71 

enemy  rushed  on  him,  and  after  a  most  daring  fight 
he  fell,  not  till  pierced  by  thirty-three  bayonets.  L. 
Latham  had  been  left  at  home  by  his  master  to  care 
for  the  stock  when  the  latter  left  to  help  defend  the 
fort;  but  as  soon  as  he  could  unhitch  his  team  he 
too  made  haste  to  the  scene  of  the  fray,  and  the 
above  bold  deed  shows  how  deeply  he  felt  moved  to 
give  his  life  in  defence  of  his  country. 

John  Freeman  pinned  Major  Montgomery  to 
the  ground  while  he  was  being  lifted  upon  the  walls 
of  Fort  Griswold. 

Samuel  Charlton  was  in  the  battle  of  Monmouth 
and  several  others.  Washington  complimented  him 
for  his  bravery.  He  returned  to  his  master  in  New 
Jersey  after  the  war,  and  at  his  master's  death  Charl- 
ton, with  the  other  slaves,  was  set  free  and  given  a 
pension  during  his  life. 

James  Armistead  acted  as  scout  for  LaFayette 
in  the  Virginia  campaign.  He  returned  to  his  mas- 
ter after  the  surrender  of  Cornwallis  and  was  set  free 
by  a  special  act  of  the  Virginia  Legislature. 

Negro  Soldiers  in  the  North  enlisted  with  the 
colonies  so  that  they  might  thus  get  their  freedom 
from  their  Northern  masters,  while  Negro  soldiers 
in  the  South  enlisted  with  the  British,  who  promised 
freedom  to  all  who  would  join  their  ranks. 

Did  the  Negro  Soldiers  get  their  freedom  after 
the  war  of  the  Revolution  was  oVer  ?  We  may  say 


72  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

yes,  so  far  as  the  Northern  colonies  are  concerned, 
but  not  without  much  opposition  in  the  courts  and 
legislatures.  Virginia  also  passed  an  act  in  1 783 
emancipating  the  slaves  who  had  fought  in  the 
Revolution.  Many  individual  slaves  were  emanci- 
pated by  special  acts  of  the  legislatures  for  their 
courage  and  bravery. 

George  Washington  set  his  slaves  free  by  his 
will,  and  many  slave-owners  did  the  same. 

The  slaves  who  joined  the  British  army  were  sub- 
jected to  all  sorts  of  horrors.  Thousands  died  with 
small-pox  and  other  contagious  diseases.  A  great 
number  were  sent  t.o  the  West  Indies  in  exchange 
"  for  rum,  sugar,  coffee  and  fruit." 

LAFAYETTE   AND   KOSCIUSKO. 

LaFayette,  the  brilliant  young  Frenchman,  and 
Kosciusko,  the  generous  Pole,  volunteered  their  ser- 
vices in  behalf  of  freedom  for  the  Americans  during 
the  Revolution.  They  fought,  though,  for  the  free- 
dom of  all  Americans.  LaFayette  said  in  a  letter 
to  a  Mr.  Clarkson  :  "  I  would  never  have  drawn 
my  sword  in  the  cause  of  America,  if  I  could  have 
conceived  that  thereby  I  was  founding  a  land  of 
slavery." 

While  Visiting  America  in  1825,  he  expressed 
a  warm  desire  to  see  some  of  the  many  colored  sol 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  A MERICA .  73 

diers  whom  he  "  remembered  as  participating  with 
him  in  various  skirmishes."  He  believed  in  free- 
dom to  all  men,  and  to  put  in  practice  his  anti- 
slavery  ideas  he  bought  a  plantation  in  French 
Guiana.  There  he  collected  all  the  "  whips  and 
other  instruments  of  torture  and  punishment,  and 
made  a  bonfire  of  them  in  the  presence  of  the  as- 
sembled slaves." 

He  Gave  One  Day  in  each  week  to  the  slaves, 
and  as  soon  as  one  could  earn  enough  he  might  pur- 
chase another  day,  and  so  on  until  he  gained  his 
freedom. 

Kosciusko  Expressed  great  sorrow  to  learn 
that  the  colored  men  who  served  in  the  Revolution 
were  not  thereby  to  gain  their  freedom.  He  left 
$20,000  in  the  hands  of  Thomas  Jefferson,  to  be 
used  in  educating  colored  children. 


A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE  WAR  OF  1812. 

THE  War  of  the  Revolution  ended  in  1781  at 
Yorktown.  Many  of  the  brave  Negroes  who  shed 
their  blood  and  helped  to  win  America's  liberty 
from  England  were,  as  soon  as  the  war  closed, 
put  back  into  bondage.  They  were  in  the  "  Land 
of  the  Free,"  but  themselves  slaves.  Other  trou- 
bles arose  very  soon  between  England  and  Amer- 
ica. England  still  kept  standing  armies  in  America, 
and  claimed  the  right  to  search  American  vessels 
for  British  sailors  who  had  deserted.  They  often 
took  off  American  seamen. 

One  Negro  and  Two  White  sailors  were  taken 
from  the  American  man-of-war  "  Chesapeake  "  after 
she  had  been  fired  upon.  Canada  gave  arms  to  and 
incited  the  Indians  in  the  Northwest  against  the 
Americans.  Finally,  in  1812,  war  was  declared, 
during  Madison's  administration. 

Negro  Troops  were  very  much  needed,  as  the 
Americans  had  a  very  poor  navy,  and  England, 
having  whipped  the  French,  was  now  ready  to  turn 
all  her  forces  against  America. 

A  Call   for  Volunteers    from    the    Union  was 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA.  75 

issued,  and  many  thousands  of  free  Negroes  an- 
swered the  call.  The  slaves  were  not  allowed  to 
enlist  in  the  militia.  Gen.  Jackson  thus  spoke  to  his 
colored  troops : 

"  To  the  Men  of  Color — Soldiers :  From  the  shores 
of  Mobile  I  collected  you  to  arms.  I  invited  you  to 
share  in  the  perils  and  to  divide  the  glory  with  your 
white  countrymen.  I  expected  much  from  you,  for 
I  was  not  uninformed  of  those  qualities  which  must 
render  you  so  formidable  to  an  invading  foe.  I 
knew  that  you  could  endure  hunger  and  thirst  and 
all  the  hardships  of  war.  I  knew  that  you  loved  the 
land  of  your  nativity,  and  that,  like  ourselves,  you 
had  to  defend  all  that  is  most  dear  to  man.  But  you 
have  surpassed  all  my  hopes.  I  have  found  in  you, 
united  to  these  qualities,  that  noble  enthusiasm 
which  impels  to  great  deeds. 

"  Soldiers,  the  President  of  the  United  States 
shall  be  informed  of  your  conduct  on  the  present 
occasion,  and  the  voice  of  the  Representatives  of 
the  American  nation  shall  applaud  your  valor  as 
your  General  now  praises  your  ardor.  The  enemy 
is  near.  His  sails  cover  the  lakes  ;  but  the  brave 
are  united,  and  if  he  finds  us  contending  among 
ourselves,  it  will  be  for  the  prize  of  valor,  and  fame, 
its  noblest  reward." 

The  Battle  of  New  Orleans,  we  will  remember, 
ended  in  defeat  for  the  British.  Over  two  thousand 


76  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

were  lost  to  the  British,  while  the  American  loss 
was  seven  killed  and  six  wounded.  There  were 
over  four  hundred  Negroes  in  this  battle,  and  they 
occupied  "  no  mean  place  and  did  no  mean  service." 
The  British  had  a  battalion  of  Negroes  from  the 
Island  of  San  Domingo  in  this  battle.  The  idea 
of  fortifying  the  city  with  cotton  is  said  to  have  been 
the  suggestion  of  a  slave  who  was  a  native  African, 
and  learned  this  mode  of  defence  from  the  Arabs. 

Mr.  D.  Lee  Child,  in  a  letter  to  a  friend,  states 
that  the  famous  cotton  breast-works,  recognized  the 
world  over  as  a  stroke  of  genius  on  the  part  of 
Gen.  Jackson,  was  the  suggestion  of  a  colored  man, 
a  .native  African.  He  gives  some  data  from  a  Por- 
tuguese manuscript  to  prove  that  this  mode  of  de- 
fence is  in  practice  among  the  native  Africans,  who 
thus  defend  their  wives  and  children  against  the 
Arabs. 

NEGROES  IN  THE  NAVY  OF  l8l2. 

Th  "re  seemed  to  be  no  discrimination  against 
any  class  of  citizens  joining  our  navy;  nor  is  there 
now.  About  one-fifth  of  the  marines  were  Negroes. 
That  they  did  valuable  service  is  testified  to  by 
numerous  commanders.  Read  what  Commander 
Nathaniel  Shaler  of  the  "private  armed"  schooner 
"Governor  Tompkins  "  says,  in  a  letter  dated — 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA. 


"  AT  SEA,  Jan.  i,  1813. 

"  My  officers  conducted  themselves  in  a  way  that 
would  have  done  honor  to  a  more  permanent  ser- 
vice .....  The  name  of  one  of  my  poor  fel- 
lows who  was  killed  ought  to  be  registered  in  the 
book  of  fame,  and  remembered  with  reverence  as 
long  as  bravery  is  a  virtue,  He  was  a  black  man, 
by  the  name  of  John  Johnson.  A  twenty-four 
pound  shot  struck  him  in  the  hip  and  took  away 
all  the  lower  part  of  his  body.  In  this  state  the 
poor,  brave  fellow  lay  on  the  deck,  and  several  times 
exclaimed  to  his  shipmates,  'Fire  away,  my  boys  ; 
no  haul  a  color  down  !  '  The  other  was  a  black 
man  by  the  name  of  John  Davis,  and  was  struck  in 
much  the  same  way.  He  fell  near  me,  and  several 
times  requested  to  be  thrown  overboard,  saying  he 
was  only  in  the  way  of  others.  While  America  has 
such  tars,  she  has  little  to  fear  from  the  tyrants  of 
the  ocean." 

Captain  Perry  had  command  of  the  American 
fleet  on  Lake  Erie.  He  objected  to  recruits  sent 
him,  and  described  them  in  a  letter  to  Commodore 
Chauncey  ,as  "  a  motley  set  —  blacks,  soldiers  and 
boys."  Commodore  Chauncey  replied  :  "  I  regret 
that  you  are  not  pleased  with  the  men  sent  you. 
.  .  .  .  I  have  yet  Jo  learn  that  the  color  of  the 
skin,  or  the  cut  and  trimmings  of  the  coat,  can 
affect  a  man's  qualifications  or  usefulness.  I  have 


78  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

fifty  blacks  on  board  this  ship,  and  many  of  them 
are  among  my  best  men." 

Usher  Parsons,  Surgeon  of  the  "Java,"  under 
Commodore  Perry,  wrote  that  the  whites  and  blacks 
of  his  ship  messed  together,  and  there  seemed  to  be 
no  prejudice. 

The  End  of  the  War  of  1812  meant  victory  for 
America,  and  the  Negro  had  scored  a  telling  point 
in  behalf  of  his  recognition  as  an  American  citizen. 
But  still  many  were  in  slavery. 

Major  Jeffreys,  a  "regular,"  during  the  engage- 
ment of  Major-General  Andrew  Jackson  at  Mobile, 
mounted  a  horse  and  rallied  the  retreating  troops 
to  victory  against  the  British,  ^when  the  white  com- 
manders were  forced  to  retire  and  defeat  seemed 
certain.  Gen.  Jackson  gave  him  the  title  of  Major, 
which  he  bore  till  his  death  in  Nashville,  Tenn.  He 
was  much  respected  by  all  classes.  On  one  occa- 
sion a  white  ruffian  insulted  him.  Words  ensued, 
and  Major  Jeffreys  was  forced  to  strike  the  white 
man  in  self-defence.  For  this,  at  the  age  of  seventy 
years,  this  veteran,  who  had  won  £  victory  for  his 
country  on  the  battle-field,  was  ordered  to  be  given 
41  nine  and  thirty  lashes  with  a  raw  hide."  He  did 
not  recover  from  the  effects  of  this  treatment,  and 
soon  died  of  a  broken  heart. 

Jordon  Noble  was  among  the  colored  veterans 
of  the  War  of  181 2.  For  a  long  time  after  the  war 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA.  70 

he  lived  in  New  Orleans,  where  he  was  brought  out 
on  every  great  occasion  to  give  enthusiasm.  Jor- 
don  Noble's  name  appearing  in  connection  with  any 
great  occasion  was  sufficient  guarantee  of  a  tremen- 
dous crowd.  He  was  drummer  to  the  First  Regi- 
ment Louisiana  Volunteers  in  the  Mexican  War  of 
1846,  and  led  the  attack  against  the  British  in  the 
Battle  of  New  Orleans  under  Jackson  in  1814.  He 
was  known  as  the  "  matchless  drummer." 


80  A  SCHOOL  II [STORY  OF  THE 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

EFFORTS  FOR  FREEDOM. 

The  War  of  1812  was  now  over.  America  re- 
jnained  at  peace  with  other  nations  about  thirty- 
two  years,  when  the  Mexican  war  broke  out  in 
1846,  During  this  interval  a  war  of  words  between 
Americans  themselves  was  waged  ;  and  there  were 
heroes  in  this  contest,  many  of  them  Negroes  and 
former  slaves,  and  some  of  them  women,  who  merit 
equal  rank  with  the  brave  heroes  of  former  battles. 

The  Abolitionists  who  were  opposed  to  slavery, 
furnished  many  brave  hearts  and  strong  minds  from 
their  ranks.  Their  work  began  very  early  in  the 
history  of  the  colonies ;  it  continued  with  slow 
growth  for  awhile,  but  nevertheless  certain  and 
effectual.  The  Quakers  of  Pennsylvania  were  fore- 
most in  the  work  of  abolition.  They  set  nearly  all 
their  slaves  free.  Anti-slavery  societies  were  formed 
in  nearly  all  the  Northern  States. 

Benjamin  Lundy  is  mentioned  as  the  earliest 
leader  of  the  Abolitionists.  He  published  a  paper 
called  The  Genius  of  Universal  Emancipation.  He 
visited  nineteen  States  of  the  Union,  travelled  up- 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA.  81 

waids  of  five  thousand  miles  on  foot,  and  more  than 
twenty  thousand  in  other  ways,  and  held  more  than 
two  hundred  public  meetings.  Lundy's  paper  was 
not  regarded  as  very  dangerous  to  the  institution 
of  slavery;  but  the  Journal  of  the  Times,  published 
first  at  Bennington,  Vermont,  in  support  of  J.  Q. 
Adams  for  the  presidency,  became  the  inveterate 
foe  to  slavery  under  the  editorship  of  William  Lloyd 
Garrison,  who  was  mobbed  in  the  streets  of  Boston, 
and  imprisoned  for  libel  in  the  city  of  Baltimore  for 
denouncing  the  crew  of  the  ship  "  Francis  Todd," 
on  board  of  which  were  many  ill-treated  slaves 
bound  for  the  slave  marts  of  New  Orleans.  Garri- 
son and  Lundy  united  in  getting  out  The  Genius  of 
Universal  Emancipation  at  Baltimore. 

Arthur  Tappan,  before  this,  paid  Garrison's  fine, 
and  the  enemy  to  slavery  commenced  his  war  with 
more  vigor  and  zeal  than  before.  In  1831  The 
Liberator  was  first  published  by  Garrison,  and,  as 
was  his  desire,  it  continued  till  "every  slave  in 
America  was  free." 

A  "Colored  Man,"  James  Forten,  sent  $50 
among  the  first  twenty-five  subscriptions  that  came 
to  The  Liberator.  Garrison  thought  it  his  duty  to 
obey  God  rather  than  man,  and  he  denounced  the 
Constitution  of  the  United  States  as  being  a  "  Cov- 
enant with  death  and  an  agreement  with  hell,"  be- 
cause he  held  that  it  supported  slavery. 

6 


$2  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

The  National  Anti-Slavery  Convention,  white, 
was  held  in  1836;  they  had  delegates  from  ten 
States,  and  1006  anti-slavery  societies  existed  in  the 
different  States. 

The  Free  Colored  People  of  the  North  also 
held  an  anti-slavery  convention  in  1831.  Their  first 
work  was  to  get  recognition  from  the  white  organi- 
zations, who  shut  them  out.  The  "  Anti-Slavery 
Free  Women  of  America "  organized  in  1837,  *n 
New  York.  Mary  S.  Parker  was  President,  Ange- 
lina E.  Grimkie;  Secretary. 

Miss  Sarah  Forten  addressed  the  following 
verses  to  her  white  sisters  in  behalf  of  co-operation  : 


"  We  are  thy  sisters.     God  has  truly  said 
That  of  one  blood  all  nations  He  has  made. 
O  Christian  woman !  in  a  Christian  land, 
Canst  thou  unblushing  read  this  great  command  ? 
Suifer  the  wrongs  which  wring  our  inmost  heart, 
To  draw  one  throb  of  pity  on  thy  part? 
Our  skins  may  differ,  but  from  thee  we  claim 
A  sister's  privilege  and  a  sister's  name." 


Soon  after  this,  the  free  Negroes  of  the  North 
acted  together  with  the  whites  in  the  great  fight 
against  slavery.  Negro  orators  told  in  eloquent 
style  the  sad' story  of  the  bondage  of  their  race. 

Frederick  Douglass,  once  a  slave  in  Maryland, 
electrified  the  whole  country  with  his  eloquence.  He 
stood  then,  and  now,  as  a  living,  breathing,  convinc- 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA.  83 

r-"    •  • — - — 

ing  argument  against  the  claim  that  the  Negro's 
intellectual  capacities  fit  him  only  for  slavery.  Mr. 
Douglass  visited  Europe  and  was  received  there 
with  an  ovation,  for  the  cause  of  the  slave  had  leaped 
across  the  Atlantic  and  touched  a  sympathetic  chord 
in  many  a  British  heart. 

Many  Books  were  written  by  Negroes,  as  well 
as  whites.  Frederick  Douglass  wrote  "  My  Bondage 
and  My  Freedom;"  Bishop  Loguen,  "  As  a  Slave 
and  as  a  Freeman;"  other  works  by  Rev.  Samuel 
R.  Ward,  Rev.  Austin  Stewart,  Solomon  Northorp, 
Dr.  Wm.  Wells  Brown,  and  others.  William  Whip- 
per  edited  an  abolition  paper,  known  as  the  National 
Reformer. 

Uncle  Tom's  Cabin,  by  Mrs.  Harriet  Beecher 
Stowe,  was  the  most  read,  and  the  most  effectual) 
work  against  slavery. 


84  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 


CHAPTER   XV. 

FREDERICK  DOUGLASS. 

THIS  great  man  is  well  known  to  the  world.  He 
is  a  conspicuous  representative  of  the  talents  and 
capabilities  possessed  by  the  colored  race.  Born  a 
slave  on  a  plantation  in  Maryland,  he  has  gradually, 
by  industry  and  patient  labor,  worked  himself  to  the 
highest  rank  of  honor,  both  in  America  and  Europe. 
When  Frederick  Douglass  speaks  the  world  listens. 
He  is  as  much  quoted  as  any  living  American 
statesman. 

The  first  ten  years  of  Mr.  Douglass'  youth  were 
spent  on  one  of  the  many  plantations  of  a  rich 
planter  named  Lloyd,  in  the  State  of  Maryland.  He 
was  separated  from  his  mother,  who  only  saw  him 
at  long  intervals.  He,  with  the  other  little  slave 
boys,  grew  up  from  almost  infancy  in  their  tow 
shirts,  with  their  ash-cake  rations  and  frequent  beat- 
ings, given  them  by  a  certain  "  old  Aunt  Kate,"  who 
had  charge  of  the  children  on  the  plantation.  In 
this  wild  way,  young  Fred  was  left  to  grow  up  as 
best  he  could  among  the  rough  farm  hands  and 
without  a  mother's  care.  He  describes  his  mother 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA. 


Frederick  Douglass. 


A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 


to  have  been  a  noble-looking  woman,  with  the 
deepest'of  motherly  affection  and  very  fond  of  him, 
as  shown  by  her  running  dangerous  risks  and  often 
walking  many  long  miles  to  see  him. 

At  the  age  of  ten  years  he  was  sent  by  his  "  Old 
Master"  to  live  with  his  young  mistress,  in  Balti- 
more, who  was  connected  with  the  Lloyd  family. 
This  young  lady  became  attached  to  him,  and 
taught  him  to  read.  He  learned  to  read  the  Bible 
and  made  such  rapid  progress  that  the  young  lady, 
feeling  very  proud  of  her  work,  told  her  husband. 
When  he  found  it  out  he  forbade  her  teaching  him 
any  further,  saying  it  was  unlawful,  "  could  only 
lead  to  mischief,"  and,  "  if  you  give  a  nigger  an 
inch  he  will  take  an  ell."  Nevertheless,  Fred  soon 
became  proficient  in  reading,  and  he  learned  to 
write  by  the  models  in  his  young  master's  copy- 
book. He  bought  a  book  called  the  Columbian 
Orator,  in  which  he  found  speeches  from  Sheridan, 
Lord  Chatham,  William  Pitt  and  Fox.  These  he 
read  many  times  and  gained  much  mental  help  from 
them. 

Finally,  young  Fred,  whose  mind  now  was  en- 
lightened, became  so  dissatisfied  with  his  position 
as  a  slave  that  he  grew  morose  and  gloomy.  His 
young  mistress  chided  him  for  this  conduct,  and  it 
finally  became  necessary  to  hire  him  out.  He  soon 
found  a  good  opportunity  and  ran  away  to  New 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA  87 

Bedford,  Mass.  Here  he  found  employment  and 
spent  his  leisure  time  in  study.  He  read  Scott's 
"  Lady  of  the  Lake,"  and  there  came  across  the  name 
of  Douglass,  which  he  for  the  first  time  assumed. 
He  attended  church  ;  was  surprised  to  see  the  col- 
ored people  transacting  their  own  business.  Some 
of  the  first  money  he  earned  in  New  Bedford  was 
invested  in  a  subscription  to  The  Liberator.  He 
was  not  long  in  coming  .to  the  front.  His  story  of 
escape  from  slavery  was  told  in  the  various 
churches,  and  the  year  1841  found  him  on  the  stage 
before  an  anti-slavery  convention  at  Nantucket  A 
tremendous  crowd  was  present,  and  the  wildest 
enthusiasm  prevailed  Mr.  William  Lloyd  Garri- 
son followed  Mr.  Douglass  with  a  strong  speech 
for  the  abolition  of  slavery.  Mr.  Douglass'  career 
thus  begun,  continued  ;  he  spoke  often  and  mightily 
for  the  cause  of  freedom.  He  became  the  leading- 
orator  of  the  time,  and  his  presence  was  sufficient 
to  draw  a  crowd  in  the  bitterest  pro  slavery  com- 
munity. 

Since  freedom,  Mr.  Douglass  has  held  several 
important  positions  under  the  National  Govern- 
ment. He  was  once  Recorder  of  Deeds  in  the 
District  of  Columbia,  and  is  now  Minister  to  the 
Haytian  Republic 


88  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 


tHAPTER   XVI. 

LIBERIA. 

The  Republic  of  Liberia  was  founded  in  1816, 
by  the  American  Colonization  Society  as  a  place  of 
refuge  and  safety  to  the  colored  people  of  America 
who,  before  the  abolition  of  slavery  in  the  various 
States,  had  been  set  free  by  their  masters,  or,  through 
industry,  had  purchased  their  liberty  themselves. 
It  is  located  on  the  west  coast  of  Africa,  south  of 
Sierra  Leone,. and  is  very  productive  of  rice,  coffee, 
indigo,  peanuts,  arrowroot,  sugar,  pepper,  logwood, 
palm-oil,  and  cotton.  Gold  and  other  minerals  are 
found  in  considerable  quantities.  The  climate  seems 
ill  adapted  to  the  American  Negro. 

Mr.  Jehudi  Ashmun  was  the  pioneer  in  plant- 
ing the  colony,  assisted  by  Lott  Carey,  The  natives 
resisted  the  settlers,  and  for  the  first  six  years  there 
were  continual  attempts  to  drive  them  out.  Mr. 
Ashmun's  health  finally  failed,  and  he  was  compelled 
to  leave  the  colony,  now  numbering  1200  free 
Americans,  to  themselves  in  this  new  and  wild  land. 
They  shed  bitter  tears  on  his  departure,  some  cling- 
ing even  to  his  garments.  But,  left  to  themselves, 


NEGRO  RAGE  LV  AMERICA.  89 


the  Negroes  did  not  lose  all  hope.  They  set  about 
to  found  a  goverment  similar  to  that  of  the  United 
States.  They  elected  their  first  president,  Joseph 
J.  Roberts,  organized  a  cabinet,  established  schools, 
made  labor  obligatory,  and  their  flag  is  now  recog- 
nized by  the  nations  of  Europe  and  the  United 
States. 

Its  population  is  now  over  20,000  Negroes  who 
went  from  America,  or  their  descendants.  The  in- 
fluence of  Liberia  is  exercised  over  a  million  of 
people  along  the  West  Coast  of  Africa.  They  speak 
English,  and  from  them  many  tribes  have. learned 
our  language  and  the  arts  of  civilization.  The  United 
States  has  sent  six  Ministers  to  represent  her  at 
Monrovia,  the  Liberian  capital,  viz. :  from  North 
Carolina,  Messrs.  J.  H.  Smythe,  Moses  A.  Hopkins, 
and  E.  E.  Smith;  from  New  York,  Henry  H.  Gar- 
net ;  Alexander  Clark,  of  Iowa,  and  C.  H.  J.  Taylor, 
of  Kansas.  The  exports  of  Liberia  aggregate  about 
three-quarters  of  a  million  dollars  annually. 

Success  has  thus  far  attended  the  country, 
though  the  climate,  atmosphere,  and  the  surround- 
ings are  most  unfavorable  and  unstimulating.  The 
fact  that  these  colored  people  have  succeeded  shows 
what  the  race  can  do  under  favorable  circumstances. 


90  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

NAT.  TURNER  AND  OTHERS  WHO  "  STRUCK  * 
FOR  FREEDOM. 

Nathaniel  Turner  is  well  remembered  by  many 
of  the  older  people  of  Southampton,  Virginia,  as 
being  the  leader  of  the  famous  "  Nat  Turner  Insur- 
rection "  of  that  county.  He  was  an  unusually  bright 
child  having  learned  to  read  and  write  with  such 
skill  and  rapidity  that  his  own  people  and  the  neigh- 
bors regarded  him  as  a  prodigy.  It  is  said  that  his 
mother  predicted  that  he  would  be  a  prophet  in  his 
presence  one  day,  and  he  remembered  her  predio, 
tion  till  he  grew  older.  Turner  devoted  himself  to 
the  study  of  the  Scriptures  and  the  condition  of 
his  people.  He  believed  his  lot  was  to  set  them 
free.  He  had  visions  of  white  and  black  spirits  fight*' 
ing  in  battle.  He  imagined  a  voice  spoke  thus  to 
him  in  the  vision  :  "  Such  is  your  luck  ;  such  you  are 
called  to  see ;  and  let  it  come  rough  or  smooth  you 
must  bear  it."  He  thought,  while  laboring  in  the 
fields,  u  he  discovered  drops  of  blood  on  the  corn,  as 
though  it  were  dew  from  heaven,"  and  saw  on  the 
leaves  of  the  trees  pictures  of  men  written  in  blood. 


NEGRO  PACE  IN  AMERICA.  9i 


A  Plan  of  Insurrection  was  devised  in  the 
month  of  February,  1831.  Nat,  together  with  four 
of  his  friends,  Sam  Edwards,  Henry  Porter,  Nelson 
Williams,  and  Hark  Travis,  held  a  council  of  war,  as 
it  were,  in  some  lonely,  desolate  spot  in  the  woods, 
where  they  discussed  the  project  of  freeing  the 
slaves.  Nat  said,  in  his  speech,  that  his  purpose 
was  not  to  shed  blood  wantonly ;  but  in  order  to 
arouse  his  brethren  he  believed  it  necessary  to  kill 
such  of  the  whites  as  would  be  most  likely  to  give 
them  trouble.  He,  like  John  Brown,  expected  his 
slave  brethren  to  join  him. 

The  Fatal  Stroke  was  given  in  the  month  of 
August,  1831.  The  first  house  visited  was  that  of 
a  Mr.  Joseph  Travis.  While  on  the  way,  a  slave 
from  this  plantation  joined  Nat's  party.  He  was  a 
giant  of  a  man,  athletic,  quick,  and  "best  man  on  the 
muscle  in  the  county,"  and  was  known  as  "  Will." 
The  slaves  were  armed  with  axes  and  knives,  and 
killed,  indiscriminately,  young  and  old,  fifty-seven 
white  persons,  before  they  were  killed  or  cap- 
tured. 

Several  Artillery  Companies  from  Richmond, 
seventy  miles  off,  Petersburg,  Norfolk,  and  Ports- 
mouth, with  one  cavalry  company,  were  ordered  out 
to  take  Nat  and  his  followers.  In  a  'hand-to-hand 
struggle  Will  fell.  His  last  words  were :  "  Bury 
my  axe  with  me."  Nat  escaped  with  some  others 


92  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

to  the  swamps  where  he  eluded  the  whites  lor  nearly 
three  months.  After  surrendering,  he  was  brought 
into  court,  and  answered  Not  Guilty  to  the  inquiry 
of  the  judge.  The  trial  was  gone  through  with. 
Nat  was  convicted  and  condemned  to  die  on  the 
gallows.  He  received  the  sentence  with  total  in- 
difference, but  made  a  prophecy  that  on  the  day 
of  his  execution  unusual  occurrences  would  appear 
in  the  heavens  ;  the  sun  would  be  darkened  and  im- 
mense clouds  would  appear,  and  threatening  light- 
ning. Many  of  the  people  believed  it.  The  sheriff 
could  find  no  one  willing  to  cut  the  rope,  but  a 
drunken  sot,  crazed  by  liquor,  did  the  act  for  pay. 
The  day  of  execution,  strange  to  say,  as  Nat  had 
prophesied,  was  one  of  stormy  and  gloomy  aspect, 
with  terrible  thunder,  rain  and  lightning.  Nat  kept 
up  his  courage  to  the  last,  and  his  neck  in  the 
noose,  not  a  muscle  quivered  or  a  groan  was  uttered. 
He  was,  undoubtedly,  a  wonderful  character.  Know 
ing  as  he  did,  the  risk  he  ran,  what  an  immense 
courage  he  must  have  had  to  undertake  this  bold 
adventure.  He  was  thus  spoken  of  by  a  Mr. 
Gray,  who  interviewed  him  :  "  It  has  been  said  that 
he  was  ignorant  and  cowardly,  and  his  purpose  was 
to  murder  and  rob.  It  is  notorious  that  he  was 
never  known  to  have  a  dollar  in  his  life,  to  swear 
an  oath,  or  drink  a  drop  of  spirits.  He  can  read 
and  write,  and  for  natural  intelligence  and  quick- 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA. 


ness  of  apprehension  is  surpassed  by  few  men  I 
have  ever  seen."  * 

Avery  Watkins,  a  colored  preacher  of  Rock- 
ingham,  North  Carolina,  and  grandfather  of  Rev. 
R.  H.  W.  Leak,  a  prominent  minister  in  the  A.  M. 
E.  Conference  of  North  Carolina,  is  said  to  have 
been  hanged  in  Rockingham,  North  Carolina, 
charged  with  indorsing  the  Nat  Turner  Insurrec- 
tion, because  in  a  private  conversation  with  his 
family  he  related  to  them  something  of  what  Nat 
Turner  was  doing  in  Southampton,  where  he  had 
lately  been  on  a  visit  to  his  grandmother^  Accord- 
ing to  the  account  of  Mr.  W.  H.  Quick,  he  was 
taken  by  a  mob  at  a  camp-meeting,  and  tried  and 
hung  in  the  same  month,  in  the  year  1831. 

Madison  Washington  was  the  name  of  a  brave 
slave  who,  being  a  part  of  a  cargo  of  135  slaves  en 
route  to  New  Orleans  from  Virginia,  when  the  boat 
was  eight  days  out  organized  the  slaves,  made  an 
onslaught  on  the  officers,  took  possession  of  the  boat 
and  carried  it  to  Nassau,  an  English  possession, 
where  England  gave  them  protection,  refusing  to 
surrender  them  as  "  murderers  and  mutineers  to 
perish  on  Southern  gibbets." 

*  One  author  says:  Upwards  of  one  hundred  slaves  were  slaughtered  in 
the  Southampton  Tragedy,  many  of  them  in  cold  blood  while  walking.in  the 
streets— and  about  sixty  white  persons.  Some  of  the  alleged  conspirators 
had  their  noses  and  ears  cut  off,  the  flesh  of  their  cheeks  cut  out,  their- jaws 
broken  asunder,  and  in  that  condition  they  were  set  up  as  marks  to  be  shot  at. 


94  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

The  Kindness  of  Washington  in  dressing  the 
Captain's  wounds  and  protecting  and  caring  for  his 
wife  and  children,  marked  him  as  a  most  magnani- 
mous foe.  Only  one  white  man  of  the  twelve  com- 
manding the  ship  was  killed.  He  having  fired  into 
the  slaves  came  at  them  with  a  spike ;  thereupon  he 
was  stabbed  by  one  of  Washington's  men,  who 
wrenched  a  bowie-knife  from  the  hands  of  the  Cap- 
tain. Washington's  only  wish  was,  not  blood,  but 
freedom,  which  he  gained. 

"  THE  VIRGINIA  MAROONS. 

The  Famous  Dismal  Swamp,  some  fifty  miles 
long,  extending  from  Norfolk,  Virginia,  into  North 
Carolina,  was  a  noted  rendezvous  for  runaway  slaves 
before  the  civil  war.  It  is  estimated  that  the  slave 
property  in  this  swamp  was  worth  a  million  and  a 
half  dollars.  They  carried  on  a  secret  trade  with 
the  Virginia  merchants,  but  any  merchant  caught 
fostering  these  people  by  trading  with  them  was 
punished  severely  by  law.  The  traders  who  were 
pursued  found  shelter  among  the  maroons  of  the 
swamp.  The  chivalry  of  the  Old  Dominion  never 
dared  venture  into  this  colony,  and  blood-hounds 
sent  in  came  out  no  more.  The  Dismal  Swamp 
colony  continued  from  generation  to  generation,  de- 
fying and  outwitting  the  slave-owners  right  in  the 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA.  95 


midst  of  one  of  the  strongest  slave-holding  commu- 
nities in  the  South. 


"THE  AMISTAD  CAPTIVES." 


Fifty-four  Africans  on  board  the  Spanish  slave- 
schooner  "Amistad,"  under  Captain  Ramon  Ferrer, 
on  June  28,  1839,  sailed  from  Havana,  Cuba,  for 
Porto  Principe,  another  place  on  the  island  of  Cuba, 
about  three  hundred  miles  distant  from  Havana. 
The  fifty-four  slaves  were  just  from  Lemboko,  their 
native  country  in  Africa.  Joseph  Cinquez,  son  of 
an  African  prince,  was  among  them.  He  was  shrewd, 
brave  and  intelligent.  He  looked  on  with  disgust 
at  the  cruel  treatment  given  him  and  his  fellow- 
sJaves,  some  being  "  chained  down  between  the 
decks — space  not  more  than  four  feet — by  their 
wrists  and  ankles ;  forced  to  eat  rice,  sick  or  well, 
and  whipped  upon  the  slightest  provocation."  Cin- 
quez witnessed  the  brutality  as  long  as  his  noble 
nature  would  allow,  and  when  they  were  about  five 
nights  out  from  Havana,  he  chose  a  company  of 
confederates  from  among  his  brethren  and  made  an 
assault  on  the  captain  of  the  boat,  and  took  him  and 
his  crew  prisoners.  Two  sailors  struck  out  for  land 
when  they  found  their  captain  and  cook  in  chains, 
and  left  the  boat  in  full  possession  of  the  Negroes. 
The  man  at  the  helm  (Montes)  was  ordered  to  steer 


96  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

direct  for  Africa,  under  pain  of  death.     This  he  did 
by  day,  but  at  night  would  make  towards  the  coast 
of  America.     Finally,  after  continual  wandering-,  the 
vessel  was  cited  off  the  coast  of  the  United  States 
in  August.     All  the  ports  were  notified,  and  a  num- 
ber of  revenue  cutters  were  dispatched  after  her. 
She  was  finally  captured  on  the   26th  of  August, 
1839,  by  Lieut.  Gidney  of  the  United  States  Navy, 
and  the  "Amistad"  and  her  fifty-four  Africans  were 
landed    ir.    New   London,    Connecticut.     The   two 
Spaniards  found  on  board  the  vessel  were  examined 
by  the  United  States  officials,  and  the  whole  number 
of  Africans  were  bound  over  to  await  trial  as  pirates. 
They  being  unable  to  give  bond  of  course  went  to 
prison,  but  not  to  stay  long.     Public  sentiment  was 
everywhere  aroused  in  their  favor.     The  anti-slavery 
friends  organized  schools  among  them  ;  the  Africans 
learned  rapidly  and  soon  told  all  the  details  of  the 
capture  of  the  "  Amistad  "  in  English  from  their  own 
lips  without  an  interpreter.     The  trial  occupied  sev- 
eral months,  during  which  they  busied  themselves 
in  cultivating  a  garden  of  fifteen  acres  in  a  most 
skillful  and  intelligent  manner.     Their   grievances 
were  told  all  over  America,  and  aroused  the  sympa- 
thies of  the  people.     Finally,  the  court  decided  that 
the  "Amistad  captives  "  were  not  slaves  but  free- 
men.    A   thrill   of  joy   passed    through    many   an 
American  heart,  as  well  as  their  own,  and  when  the 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA.  97 

news  of  this  decision  spread  abroad,  subscriptions 
began  to  come  in.  Mr.  Lewis  Tappan  took  a  lively 
interest  in  the  Africans,  and  in  one  way  and  another 
soon  got  together  enough  money  to  send  them  home 
to  Africa,  where  they  so  much  wanted  to  go.  "  If 
'Merica  men  offered  me  as  much  gold  as  fill  this  cap," 
said  one,  "  and  give  me  houses,  land  and  everything, 
so  dat  I  stay  in  this  country,  I  say  No  !  No  ! !  I  want 
to  see  my  father,  my  mother,  my  brother,  my  sister." 
One  said,  "  We  owe  everything  to  God  ;  He  keeps 
us  alive,  and  makes  us  free.  When  we  go  home  to 
Mendi,  we  tell  our  brethren  about  God,  Jesus  Christ 
and  Heaven. "_  One" was  asked,  if  he  was  again 
captured  and  about  to  be  sold  into  slavery,  would 
he  murder  the  captain  and  cook  of  another  vessel, 
and  if  he  wouldn't  pray  for  rather  than  kill  them  ? 
Cinquez  heard  it  and  replied,  shaking  his  head, 
"  Yes  ;  I  would  pray  for  'em  and  kill  'em,  too." 

These  people  were  sent  to  Sierra  Leone  in  Africa 
in  company  with  five  sainted  missionaries.  Great 
Britain  sent  them  from  Sierra  Leone  to  their  homes, 
and  thus  their  efforts  for  freedom  were  successful. 


98  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

ANTI-SLAVERY  AGITATION. 

Slavery  or  No  Slavery  was  the  question  now 
before  the  American  people.  Millions  of  tracts, 
pamphlets,  circulars  and  newspapers,  besides  the 
ministers  and  orators  of  the  North,  were  now  mak- 
ing sentiment  against  slavery.  The  people  of  the 
North  were  aroused. 

The  Census  of  1850  gave  a  population  of  three 
and  one-half  million  slaves  in  America,  and  they 
lived  in  the  States  of  Delaware,  New  Jersey,  Mary- 
land, Virginia,  North  Carolina,  South  Carolina, 
Georgia,  Florida,  Alabama,  Mississippi,  Louisiana, 
Texas,  Arkansas,  Utah  Territory,  Kentucky,  Mis- 
souri and  Tennessee.  Soon  after  this  New  Jersey, 
Delaware  and  Maryland  freed  their  slaves. 

The  Political  Parties  were  forced  to  taKe  up 
the  slavery  question.  The  politicians  were  wily, 
and  yielded  to  both  sides  for  policy's  sake.  The 
South  opposed  every  legislative  act  that  favored  the 
abolition  of  slavery.  The  great  Daniel  Webster 
hesitated  to  take  a  decided  stand  either  way,  and  in 
1858  Charles  Sumner,  a  staunch  anti-slavery  man* 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA.  99 

came  to  the  Senate  from  Massachusetts  in  Web- 
ster's place.  Mr.  Sumner  said  more  and  did  more 
for  the  freedom  of  the  slave  than  any  of  the  great 
statesmen  of  his  time.  He  offered  no  compromise, 
and  asked  only  for  liberty  to  the  slaves. 

The  Fugitive  Slave  Law*  allowed  masters  to 
capture  their  slaves  in  any  State  of  the  Union. 
Hence  arose  the  underground  railroad,  which  was 
a  secret  system  for  transporting  runaway  slave.s  into 
Canada.  Some  slaves  were  sent  in  boxes,  and  some 
carried  in  the  night  from  one  person  to  another  un- 
til they  reached  the  Canadian  line.  A  great  many 
runaway  slaves  made  good  their  escape  through 
this  system.f 

New  States  coming  into  the  Union  caused  great 
discussion  as  to  whether  they  should  come  in  as  free 
States  or  slave  States.  Civil  war  broke  out  in 
Kansas  between  the  inhabitants  of  that  Territory 
who  wanted,  and  those  who  did  not  want,  slaves. 
The. anti-slavery  people  were  led  by, John  Brown, 
afterwards  the  leader  in  an  attempt  to  capture  the 
arsenal  at  Harper's  Ferry,  Virginia,  and  arm  the 
slaves.  He  was  hung  as  an  insurrectionist. 

Opposition   in   the  North  to  the  Abolitionists 


*  It  was  Chief  Justice  Taney  who,  in  giving  his  decision  en  this  law  in  the 
Dred  Scott  case,  said:  "A  Negro  has  no  rights  which  a  white  man  is  bound 
to  respect." 

f  See  Underground  Railroad,  by  William  Still. 


100  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

was  manifested  by  the  commercial  people,  who  saw 
nothing  in  the  whole  question  but  the  dollars  and 
cents  which  they  hoped  to  make  out  of  the  slave's 
products  of  cotton,  tobacco-,  sugar,  and  rice.  But 
the  agitation  continued. 

Abraham  Lincoln,  endorsed  by  the  anti-slavery 
people,  was  proposed  as  the  Republican  candidate 
for  President  in  1860,  whereupon  South  Carolina 
declared  if  Lincoln  was  elected  she  would  secede 
from  the  Union.  Lincoln  was  elected,  and  accord- 
ingly South  Carolina  seceded,  and  was  soon  followed 
by  the  other  slave-holding  States. 


NEGRO  RA  CE  IN  A MERICA .  101 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

EXAMPLES  OF  UNDERGROUND  RAILROAD 
WORK. 

WILLIAM  and  Ellen  Craft  were  slaves  in  the  State 
of  Georgia.  Their  hearts  yearned  for  freedom. 
Their  minds  were  at  once  set  to  work  to  formulate 
some  plan  of  escape.  It  was  at  last  settled. 
Ellen  being  very  fair,  while  William  was  dark, 
was  to  pass  for  a  young  invalid  planter,  William 
being  her  slave  and  servant.  Not  being  able 
to  write,  and  without  beard,  she  put  her  hand 
into  a  sling  and  tied  her  face  up ;  after  putting  on 
male  attire  they  were  ready  to  start  out.  William 
attended  to  all  the  business,  .such  as  registering  at 
the  hotels  and  buying  tickets.  They  stopped  at  a 
first-class  hotel  in  Charleston,  and  also  in  Richmond, 
finally  reaching  Philadelphia  safely.  Ellen  gave  ur> 
her  male  attire,  untied  her  face,  released  her  arm 
from  the  sling,  and  her  speech  came  to  her.  They 
put  themselves  under  the  care  of  the  Abolitionists, 
were  sent  to  Boston,  but  after  the  passage  of  the 
Fugitive  Slave  Bill,  attempts  were  made  to  capture 
and  put  them  back  into  slavery  again.  They  were 
at  last  sent  to  England,  where  they  remained  for 
nearly  twenty  years;  then  they  returned  and  made 
their  home  in  Savannah,  Georgia,  where,  we  learn, 
they  are  still  living. 


102  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  TllK 


CHAPTER  XX. 

THE  SLAVE  POPULATION  OF  18(50. 

IN  the  sixteen  slave  States  there  were  3,950,000 
slaves  in  1860,  and  251,000  free  colored  people. 
Nearly  3,000,000  of  the  slaves  were  in  the  rural 
districts  of  the  South ;  and  the  slave  products  of 
cotton,  tobacco,  rice,  sugar-cane,  hemp,  and  molasses, 
amounted  to  about  $136,505,435.  These  products, 
made  by  slave  labor,  formed  the  basis  of  Southern 
prosperity.  The  war  of  the  rebellion  which  com- 
menced in  the  following  year,  was  destined  to  shake 
the  very  foundation  of  Soulhern  civilization.  From 
a  people  unaccustomed  to  hard  work,  it  was  to  take 
away  those  who  worked  for  them,  and  those  same 
people  who  were  to  be  taken  away  were  to  be  re- 
galed in  the  priceless  boon  of  citizenship.  Let  us 
now  study  some  of  the  efforts  of  Negroes  in  help- 
ing to  achieve  this  citizenship,  after  which  we  shall 
see  how  well  they  deserved  to  be  citizens. 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA.  103 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

THE  WAR  OF  THE  REBELLION. 

ENLISTMENT   OF    NEGROES. 

The  Secession  of  South  Carolina  and  the  other 
Southern  States  was  the  signal  for  war.  True  to  its 
declaration  to  do  so,  this  State  seceded  when  Lincoln 
was  inaugurated  in  1861.  Fort  Sumter\\as  fired  on 
by  the  Confederates  and  captured.  The  North  was 
divided  on  the  question  of  slavery,  and  the  Govern- 
ment at  Washington  was  slow  in  making  any  efforts 
to  stop  the  rebellion.  A'  few  troops  were  sent  into 
the  field  with  the  hope  of  frightening  the  South. 

The  Battle  of  Bull  Run  was  fought,  and  disgrace- 
fully lost  to  the  Union.  It  took  some  losses  and 
failures  to  make  the  North  believe  the  South  would 
fight.  Finally,  after  the  defeat  at  Bull  Run, 

Lincoln  issued  a  Proclamation  for  75,000 
volunteers.  But  the  motto  was,  no  blacks  need  apply. 
There  was  great  prejudice  in  the  North  against  he 
Negro's  enlisting  to  fight  for  his  freedom,  and  the 
President  was  also  opposed  to  it. 

The  Confederates  were  already  forming  Negro 
companies  for  the  defence  of  Richmond  and  build- 


104  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 


Ing  fortifications.  The  third  and  fourth  regiments 
of  Georgia  showed  one  Negro  company  as  they 
passed  through  Augusta  en  route  to  Virginia.  Free 
Negroes  enlisted  on  the  Confederate  side  at  New 
Orleans  and  Memphis.  They  were  highly  spoken 
of  by  the  Southern  papers.  But  the  North  seemed 
to  think  still  that  to  put  the  Negro  in  the  Union  blue 
would  disgrace  that  uniform. 

General  Hunter,  stationed  at  Port  Royal,  South 
Carolina,  did  not  agree  with  Congress  nor  the  Presi- 
dent. When  he  succeeded  General  Sherman,  in- 
structions from  the  Secretary  of  War  to  "accept  the 
services  of  all  loyal  persons  "  were  handed  him  ;  and 
he  seized  this  opportunity  (there  being  nothing  said 
about  Negroes)  to  enlist  a  Negro  regiment  of  fugi- 
tive slaves.  His  conduct  was  inquired  into  by  Mr. 
Wickliffe,  a  Congressman  from  Kentucky,  and  a 
resolution  of  censure  was  offered. 

Major-General  Hunter  replied  to  the  inquiry 
made  in  Congress  as  to  his  enlisting  slaves,  that  the 
Negroes  seemed  to  be  the  only  loyal  people  in  that 
locality,  and  they  were  anxious  to  fight  for  their 
freedom,  and  gave  every  evidence  of  making  *'  in- 
valuable auxiliaries."  They  knew  the  country  and 
were  accustomed  to  the  climate. 

General  Phelps,  stationed  in  Louisiana  about 
this  time,  was  making  a  bold  fight  for  the  enlistment 
of  Negroes  in  and  around  New  Orleans.  He  was 


NEGRO  RACE  IX  AMERICA.       •  105 

opposed  by  General  Benj.  F.  Butler,  who  protested 
so  strongly  against  it  that  finally  General  Phelps 
was  forced  to  resign  and  return  to  his  home  in  Ver- 
mont. The  sentiment  of  the  Northern  army  seemed 
to  have  a  conspicuous  leaning  towards  admitting  the 
right  of  the  South  to  hold  slaves.  General  Butler 
refused  the  runaway  slayes  quarters  in  his  head- 
quarters. McCIellan,  a  reeking  failure  as  a  com- 
mander, said,  with  others,  that  if  he  thought  he  was 
fighting  to  free  the  "  niggers  "  he  would  sheath  his 
sword.  He  soon  failed  in  the  Virginia  campaign  and 
was  forced  to  resign. 

Mr.  Stevens  proposed  a  bill  in  Congress  author- 
izing the  President  to  "  raise  and  equip -150,000  sol- 
diers of  African  descent  "  Meanwhile  Col.  Thomas 
W.  Higginson  and  Col.  Montgomery,  with  a  com- 
pany of  Negro  troops  were  ascending  the  St.  John 
River,  in  Florida,  where  he  captured  Jacksonville, 
which  had  been  abandoned  by  white  Union  Troops. 
Among  those  who  favored  Mr.  Stevens'  measure 
were  Horace  Greeley  and  Edwin  M.  Stanton,  who 
seemed  to  have  been  convinced  of  the  worth  of  the 
colored  troops  from  the  testimony  of  such  men  as 
Phelps,  Higginson,  Hunter,  and  Montgomery,  who 
had  already  seen  what  Negro  troops  could  accom- 
plish. 

Public  Sentiment  was  being  aroused  on  the  sub- 
ject. The  newspapers  discussed  the  matter.  The 


"106  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

New  York  Tribune  said  :  "  Drunkenness,  the  bane 
of  our  army,  does  not  exist  among  the  black  troops." 
"  Nor  have  I  yet  discovered  the  slightest  ground  of 
inferiority  to  white  troops."  Mr.  Lincoln  very  soon 
changed  his  mind,  Congress  gave  its  consent,  and 
the  order  went  forth  to  enlist  Negroes  in  defence  of 
the  Union. 

The  Right  to  Fight  for  what  they  thought  would 
ultimately  end  in  their  freedom  was  hailed  with 
shouts  of  joy  wherever  the  tidings  reached  the  Ne- 
groes. 

At  Newbern,  N.  C.,  they  made  a  great  demon- 
stration. The  enlisting  places  at  New  Orleans  and 
other  Southern  cities  then  in  the  hands  of  the  Fed- 
erals were  the  scenes  of  the, wildest  confusion  in  the 
mad  rush  of  the  colored  people  to  register  their 
names  on  the  army  records. 

A  Difficulty  arose  in  getting  sufficient  arms  for 
all  the  colored  troops;  and  a  further  difficulty  was 
to  be  met  in  selecting  -white  officers  who  had  the 
courage  to  brave  public  sentiment  and  take  the  com- 
mand of  Negro  troops.  Negro  daring  ancj  excel- 
lency on  the  battle-field  soon  broke  down  these 
flimsy  weaknesses  of  the  white  officers,  and  the  sum- 
mer of  1863  found  over  100,000  Negroes  in  the 
Union  ranks,  and  over  50,000  armed  and  equipped 
on  the  fields  of  battle. 

Their   Pay  was  seven  dollars  per  month,  with 


NEGRO  RA  CE  IN  AMERICA.  1 07 


board  and  clothing.  The  whites  received  thirteen 
dollars  per  month  with  board  and  clothing.  Thus 
the  former  slave  went  forth  to  meet  his  master  on 
the  battle-field,  sometimes  to  capture  or  be  captured  ; 
sometimes  to  fall  side  by  side,  one  pierced  with  the 
Southern,  the  other  with  the  Northern  bayonet. 

EMANCIPATION    PROCLAMATIONS. 

Two  Proclamations  were  issued  by  iMr.  Lin- 
coln. The  first,  on  the  22d  of  September,  1862,  de- 
fined the  issue  of  the  war  to  be  "  for  the  object  of 
practically  restoring  the  constitutional  relation  be- 
tween the  United  States  and  each  of  the  States, 
and  the  people  thereof.'*  It  offered,  first,  to  pay  the 
masters  for  their  slaves  and  colonize  them  in 
America  or  Africa.  Second,  it  proposed  to  free  the 
slaves  of  those  persons  and  States  then  engaged  in 
actual  rebellion.  Third,  it  offered  to  pay  from  the 
Federal  treasury  loyal  masters  who  had  lost  their 
slaves  in  and  during  the  rebellion. 

The  Second  Proclamation  was  issued  January 
i,  1863,  and  is  the  one  we  celebfate.  This  measure 
was  urged  upon  Mr.  Lincoln  by  the  Abolitionists 
and  those  who  wished  the  Negro  free.  It  did  not 
free  all  the  slaves.  Some  counties  were  left  out. 
Though  the  Abolitionists  saw  in  the  proclamation 
trie  consummation  of  their  prayers  and  hopes,  Mr. 


108  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Lincoln  and  his  Cabinet  evidently  regarded  the 
proclamation  as  a  war  measure,  very  necessary  un- 
der the  circumstances,  to  shorten  the  war.  The 
South  would  have  surrendered  in  half  the  time  had 
not  a  large  number  of  slaves  remained  on  the  plan- 
tations raising  supplies  for  the  Confederate  army, 
and  supporting  and  protecting  their  masters'  fami- 
lies. 


NEGRO  RACE  /,V  AMERICA.  109 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

EMPLOYMENT  OF  NEGRO  SOLDIERS. 

Mr.  Williams  Says:  "All  history,  ancient  and 
modern,  Pagan  and  Christian,  justified  the  conduct 
of  the  Federal  Government  in  the  employment  of 
slaves  as  soldiers.  Greece  had  tried  the  experiment, 
and  at  the  battle  of  Marathon  there  were  two  regi- 
ments composed  of  slaves.  The  beleagured  city  of 
Rome  offered  freedom  to  her  slaves  who  would  vol- 
unteer as  soldiers,  and  at  the  battle  of  Cannae  a  regi- 
ment of  Roman  slaves  made  Hannibal's  cohorts  reel 
before  their  unequalled  courage.  Negro  officers,  as 
well  as  soldiers,  had  shared  the  perils  and  glories  of 
the  campaigns  of  Napoleon  Bonaparte;  and  even 
the  Royal  Guard  at  the  Court  of  Imperial  France 
had  been  mounted  with  black  soldiers.  In  two  wars 
in  North  America,  Negro  soldiers  had  followed  the 
fortunes  of  military  life  and  won  the  applause  of 
white  patriots  on  two  continents.  So,  then,  all  his- 
tory furnished  a  precedent  for  the  guidance  of  the 
United  States  Government  in  the  civil  war  of 
America.'1 

Just  How  Well  the  Negro  Soldiers  Behaved 
may  be  gathered  from  a  description  of 


110  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

SOME  FAMOUS  BATTLES  IN  WHICH  NEGROES  FOUGHT. 

Port  Hudson,  May  27,  1863.  The  Negro  regi- 
ment under  Col.  Nelson  was  assigned  the  difficult 
task  of  taking  this  fort,  which  seemed  almost  im- 
pregnable. It  was  situated  on  a  high  bluff  overlook- 
ing the  river  in  front.  Around  the  sides  and  rear, 
close  under  the  bluff,  ran  a  bayou  twelve  feet  deep 
and  from  fifteen  to  twenty  feet  wide.  Looking  out 
from  openings  in  the  embankment  were  the  grim 
mouths  of  many  deadly  cannon.  They  were  arranged 
so  as  to  make  a  straight  raking  charge  on  the  front 
of  any  approaching  force,  while  a  score  and  a  half 
of  heavy  guns  were  to  cut  down  the  left  and  right 
wings  with  grape  and  canister. 

Having  marched  All  Night,  the  "  Black  Regi- 
ment "  stacked  arms  at  5  A.M.  One  hour  was  given 
for  rest  and  breakfast.  Many,  completely  overcome 
by  the  enervating  heat  and  dust,  sank  down  "  in  their 
tracks  "  and  slept. 

The  Officers  received  their  instructions  at  5.30, 
and  at  6  o'clock  the  bugle  sounded.  "  Fall  in!"  was 
heard  ringing  out  among  the  soldiers  ;  and  the  scene 
reminded  one  more  of  a  holiday  party  than  a  march 
to  death.  The  troops  seemed  anxious  to  fight.  The 
white  troops  looked  on  with  uneasiness  and  doubts 
concerning  the  Negro's  courage.  The  Confederates 
in  the  fort  ridiculed  the  idea  that  Negroes  were  to 
charge  them. 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA.  Ill 

The  Negro  Regiment  moved  towards  the  fort. 
There  was  death-like  silence,  save  the  tramp  of  sol- 
diers and  the  tap  of  drum.  "Forward;  double-quick, 
march!"  rang  out  along  the  line;  not  a  piece  was 
fired.  Now  the  Confederate  guns  open  on  the  left ; 
one  shell  kills  twelve  men.  "  Right  about  /"  was  the 
command ;  the  regiment  wheeled  to  the  right  for 
about  three  hundred  yards,  then  coolly  and  steadily 
faced  the  enemy  again  by  companies. 

Six  Deathly  charges  were  thus  made,  when  Col. 
Nelson  reported  to  Gen.  Dwight  his  inability  to  take 
the  fort  because  of  the  bayou  being  too  deep  for 
the  men  to  wade.  Gen.  Dwight  replied:  "I  shall 
consider  that  he  has  accomplished  nothing  unless 
he  takes  those  guns."  The  soldiers  saw  it  was 
impossible,  as  well  as  Col.  Nelson,  yet  "  again  the 
order  to  charge  "  was  obeyed  with  a  shout. 

Captain  Andre  Callioux  commanded  Company 
E  in  the  next  charge.  He  marched  his  colored 
brethren  over  the  dead  bodies  of  their  comrades, 
crying,  "Follow  me!"  and  while  flashing  his  sword 
within  fifty  yards  of  the  belching  Confederate  guns, 
he  was  smitten  down  in  front  of  his  company  by  a 
shell. 

Color-Sergeant  Anselmas  Planciancois  said 
to  Col.  Nelson,  before  the  fight:  "  Colonel,  I  will  bring 
back  these  colors  to  you  in  honor,  or  report  to  God 
the  reason  why."  It  was  now  between  n  and  12 


112  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

o'clock  in  the  morning.  The  fight  began  at  7  A.M. 
The  gallant  Callioux  was  lying  dead  on  the  field. 
His  men  now  charged  almost  in  the  mouth  of  the 
Confederate  guns.  Planciancois  bore  the  flag  in 
front.  A  shell  strikes  the  staff  and  blows  off  half 
of  the  brave  sergeant's  head ;  he  falls,  wrapped  in 
die  folds  of  his  nation's  flag,  his  brains  scattered 
amid  them,  but  still  his  strong  grip  holds  the  staff 
even  in  death,  till 

Corporal  Heath  catches  it  up  to  bear  it  to  the 
front  again.  Pierced  by  a  musket-ball  which  split 
his  head,  he,  too,  falls  upon  the  body  of  the  brave 
Planciancois.  Still  another  corporal  lifts  the  flag 
and  bears  it  through  the  fray.  And  thus  the  Negro 
troops,  on  almost  their  very  first  trial,  silenced  all 
clamors  as  to  their  bravery.  Port  Hudson  was  not 
taken  then,  but  the  reason  for  defeat  lay  not  in  a 
lack  of  unrivalled  daring  and  heroic  courage  on  the 
part  of  the  Negro  troops.  The  loss  was  37  killed 
and  wounded,  and  missing  271. 

The  New  York  Times  says  of  this  battle :  "  Gen. 
Dwight,  at  least,  must  have  had  the  idea  not  only  that 
they  (Negro  troops)  were  men,  but  something  more 
than  men  from  the  terrific  test  to  which  he  put  their 
valor.  The  deeds  of  heroism  performed  by  these 
men  were  such  as  the  proudest  white  men  might 
emulate.  Their  colors  are  literally  bespattered  with 
blood  and  brains. 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA.  113 

"The  color-sergeant  of  the  ist  Louisiana,  on 
being  mortally  wounded,  hugged  the  colors  to  his 
breast,  when  a  struggle  ensued  between  the  two  color 
corporals  on  each  side  of  him  as  to  who  should  have 
the  honor  of  bearing  the  sacred  standard.  One  black 
lieutenant  actually  mounted  the  enemy's  works  four 

times Although  repulsed  in  an  attempt  which 

— situated  as  things  were — was  all  but  impossible, 
these  regiments,  though  badly  cut  up,  were  still  on 
hand,  and  burning  with  a  passion  ten  times  hotter 
from  their  fierce  baptism  of  blood." 

General  Banks  wrote,  concerning  the  if  Black 
Regiment"  at  Port  Hudson :  "  It  gives  me  pleasure 
to  report  that  they  answered  every  expectation. 
Their  conduct  was  heroic."  The  success  of  the  Ne- 
gro troops  at  Port  Hudson  rang  in  the  halls  of  Con- 
gress, in  the  lecture-room,  in  the  pulpit,  in  the  news- 
papers ;  poets  sang  of  it,  and  Northern  orators  vied 
with  each  other  in  eloquent  pictures  of  the  scene  of 
that  great  fight  which  settled  the  question  as  to  the 
Negro's  fitness  for  the  army. 

Milliken's  Bend,  6th  of  June,  1863.  The  Con- 
federates came  up  from  Louisiana,  about  3000  strong. 
They  rested  over  -night,  while  the  Federals  were 
collecting  at  the  temporary  fort  in  the  bend  of  the 
Mississippi.  The  Union  men  of  war  "  Cfioctaw  "  and 
11  Lexington  "  appeared,  coming  up  the  river  before 
daylight,  pn  the  morning  of  the  6th  of  June,  which. 


114  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

was  the  time  the  Confederates  made  their  first 
charge,  yelling,  "  No  quarter  to  Negroes  and  their 
officers  !"  The  Negro  troops  were  without  training, 
being  lately  recruited,  but  they  fought  like  veterans. 
The  Confederates  fell  back  under  their  heavy  fire 
in  front,  and  charged  the  Union  flanks.  Upon  this 
the  Union  troops  found  shelter  from  the  gun-boats, 
and  broadside  after  broadside  made  the  Confederates 
hasten  away. 

An  Eye  Witness'  Description:  "As  before 
stated,  the  Confederates  drove  our  force  towards 
the  gun-boats,  taking  colored  men  prisoners.1  This 
so  enraged  them  that  they  rallied  and  charged  the 
enemy  more  heroically  and  desperately  than  has 
been  recorded  during  the  war.  It  was  a  genuine 
bayonet  charge,  a  hand-to-hand  fight,  that  has 
never  occurred  to  any  extent  during  this  pro- 
longed conflict.  Upon  both  sides  men  were  killed 
with  the  butts  of  muskets.  White  and  colored 
men  were  lying  side  by  side  pierced  by  bayon- 
ets, and  in  some  instances  transfixed  to  the  earth. 
One  brave  man  took  hjs  former  master  prisoner, 
and  brought  him  into  camp  with  great  gusto-.  A 
Confederate  prisoner  made  a  particular  request  that 
his  own  Negroes  should  not  be  placed  .over  him  as 
a  guard. 

"  Union  loss  one  hundred  killed,  five  hundred 
wounded,  mostly  Negroes.  Confederate  loss  two 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA.  315 

hundred  killed,  five  hundred  wounded,  two  hundred 
taken  prisoners,  and  two  cannon." 

The  battles  of  Fort  Pillow  and  Milliken's  Bend 
made  many  friends  for  the  colored  soldiers.  Their 
soldierly  qualities  were  on  trial ;  the  experiment  of 
arming  Negroes  to  fight  for  the  Union  was  being 
tried.  This  the  colored  troops  seemed  to  realize, 
and  it  stimulated  them  to  do  their  very  best.  They 
fought  courageously,  and  fully  satisfied  all  doubts 
concerning  their  valor. 

The  Draft  Riot  broke  out  in  New  York  in  July, 
1863.  An  order  came  from  Washington,  authoriz- 
ing soldiers  to  be  drafted  in  New  York  City.  The 
Democratic  newspapers  ridiculed  the  idea  of  the 
people's  being  drafted  into  service  "  to  fight  the 
battles  of  '  niggers  and  Abolitionists.' '  General 
Wood  finally  put  down  the  riot  after  killing  thir- 
teen of~the  rioters,  wounding  eighteen  and  taking 
twenty-four  prisoners.  "  They  had  burned  the 
Colored  Orphan's  Asylum,  hung  colored  men  to 
lamp-posts,  and  destroyed  the  property  of  this  class 
of  citizens  with  impunity." 

The  54th  Massachusetts  was  the  first  colored 
regiment  organized  in  the  free  States,  Colonel  Shaw 
commander.  It  played  a  prominent  part  in  the 
attempt  to  take  Fort  Wagner,  near  Charleston, 
S.  C.  It  marched  two  days  and  nights  through 
swamps  and  drenching  rains  to  be  in  time  for  the 
assault.  Soaking  wet,  muddy,  hungry  and  fatigued, 


116 


A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 


Fort  Wagner. 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA.  1  I  7 

they  reached  the  field  in  time  and  gladly  accepted 
the  "post  of  honor  and  danger,"  immediately  in 
front.  After  a  five  minutes'  rest  they  double- 
quicked  a  half-mile  to  the  fort,  where,  after  a  most 
gallant  and  desperate  fight,  Sergeant  William  H. 
Carney  planted  the  regimental  flag  on  the  works. 
Nearly  all  the  officers  of  the  regiment  were  killed, 
and  it  was  led  off  by  a  boy — Lieut.  Higginson. 

"  Sergeant  Carney,"  says  an  eye  witness,  "  re- 
ceived a  severe  wound  in  the  thigh,  but  fell  only  upon 
his  knees.  He  planted  the  flag  upon  the  parapet, 
lay  on  the  outer  slope,  that  he  might  get  as  much 
shelter  as  possible  ;  there  he  remained  for  over  half 
an  hour,  till  the  second  brigade  came  up.  He  kept 
his  colors  flying  till  the  second  conflict  was  ended. 
When  our  forces  retired,  he  followed,  creeping  on 
one  knee,  still  holding  the  flag."  When  he  entered 
the  hospital  (bleeding  from  one  wound  in  the  head 
and  another  in  the  thigh)  "  his  wounded  comrades 
cheered  him,"  and  he  said,  "  Boys,  the  old  flag  never 
touched  the  ground" 

The  Negro  Soldiers.  The  sentiment  against 
the  Negro  at  the  North  had  somewhat  abated  in  the 
face  of  the  irresistible  bravery  as  exhibited  by  Ne- 
gro troops  at  Wagner  and  Port  Hudson.  The 
North  saw  that  wonderful  results  could  be  achieved 
by  Negro  soldiers. 

The  Confederates  exchanged  before  this  some 
Union  officers,  but  refused  to  exchange  Negroes. 


118  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

FORT  PILLOW. 

THIS  fort  is  located  on  the  east  bank  of  the 
Mississippi,  about  fifty  miles  above  Memphis,  in 
Tennessee.  It  crowned  the  top  of  a  steep  bluff, 
covered'  with  trees  and  shrubbery.  Major  L.  F. 
Booth  was  in  command  with  a  garrison  of  557  men, 
262  of  whom  were  colored.  There  were  six  artil- 
lery pieces.  Gen.  N.  B.  Forest,  commanding  a  large 
force  of  Confederate  cavalry,  appeared  at  the  fort  at 
sunrise  on  the  13th  of  April,  1864,  and  demanded 
its  surrender.  Major  Booth  drew  up  his  force  in 
the  intrenchments  around  the  parapet.  Thus  a  con- 
tinual firing  was  kept  up  till  the  afternoon,  during 
which  Major  Booth  was  killed.  Major  Bradford 
took  command.  The  firing  ceased  for  the  guns  to 
cool  off  and  to  be  cleaned.  Meanwhile,  under  a 
flag  of  truce,  Gen.  Forest  demanded  the  surrender 
of  the  fort,  stating,  u  If  I  have  to  storm  your  works, 
you  may  expect  no  quarter."  The  Confederates, 
taking  advantage  of  the  truce,  were  hiding  in  the 
trenches  from  which  Major  Bradford  had  with- 
drawn his  men  into  the  fort.  A  few  moments  later 


NEGRO  RA  CE  IN  A MERICA.  1 1 9 

I 

they  rushed  in  with  their  deafening  yell — "No 
quarter !" 

The  Union  troops  offered  stubborn  resistance, 
but,  with  superior  numbers  crowding  in  from  front, 
rear,  and  sides,  they  were  overcome  and  surren- 
dered. 

The  War  in  the  West  was  now  about  at  an 
end.  Sherman  set  out  upon  his  famous  march 
through  Georgia  ;  Grant,  having  opened  up  the  Mis- 
sissippi, marched  on  Richmond,  which  had  now  be- 
come the  strategic  point  of  the  war.  McClellan, 
Hooker,  Meade,  and  Burnside,  had  failed  in  their 
assaults  on  this  the  Confederate  capital.  All  hopes 
were  now  centred  on  Grant.  To  him  was  assigned 
the  task,  and  this  brings  us  to  the 

CAMPAIGN    IN  VIRGINIA,   1864. 

Twenty  Thousand  Strong  marched  the  Negro 
troops  into  the  campaign  of  Virginia.  On  their  way 
they  passed  through  Washington.  Mr.  Lincoln, 
with  General  Burnsides  and  friends,  reviewed  the 
long  line  from  the  balcony  of  Willard's  Hotel.  As 
the  long,  heavy  columns  filed  past,  the  President  ac- 
knowledged their  almost  continuous  "Hurrah  for 
Lincoln !  "  He  was  deeply  touched  by  the  spectacle ; 
there  were  tears  in  many  eyes  that  saw  the  brave 
thousands  of  sable  sons,  but  a  little  while  ago  slaves. 


A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 


now  gallantly  marching  to  defend   the  Union.     It 
was  a  scene  never  forgotten  by  those  who  saw  it. 

With  Equal  Pay,  a  recognition  as  soldiers  by 
Mr.  Davis,  and  a  brilliant  record,  marched  the  Negro 
troops  into  the  Virginia  campaign.  Gen.  Butler,  who 
was  now  convinced  by  the  scenes  at  Port  Hudson, 
Forts  Pillow  and  Wagner,  of  the  Negro's  capacity 
for  fighting,  was  stationed  at  Bermuda  Hundreds 
with  a  large  corps  of  Negro  troops. 

Grant  threw  his  Forces  across  the  Rapidan 
and  met  the  Confederates  in  The  Wilderness.  He  left 
Gen.  Ferrero  with  his  colored  troops  to  protect  his 
wagon  train  in  the  rear.  Ewell  with  the  Confede- 
rate cavalry  whipped  around  in  search  of  these  sup- 
plies. Gen.  Ferrero  with  his  Negro  troops  met 
Ewell.  The  Confederates  made  a  bold  charge  and 
captured  twenty-seven  wagons.  The  hungry  sol- 
diers prepared  to  feast  on  their  plunder. 

Gen.  Ferrero  opened  fire.  The  Confederates 
charged  again,  giving  the  colored  troops  their  very 
best,  but  the  Negro  regiments  did  not  budge.  Gen 
Ferrero  then  ordered  his  troops  to  charge,  and,  in 
this  the  first  fight  between  Negro  troops  and  Vir- 
ginians, the  Confederates  were  driven  "  as  the  gale 
drives  chaff."  "  It  was  the  first  time  at  the  East," 
says  Gen.  Badeau,  in  his  Military  History  of  Grant, 
"  when  the  colored  troops  had  been  engaged  in  any 
important  battle,  and  the  display  of  soldierly  quali- 


NEGRO  RACE  7/V  AMERKJA. 


121 


ties  won  a  frank  acknowledgment  from  both  troops 
and  commanders,  not  all  of  whom  had  before  been 
willing  to  look  upon  Negroes  as  comrades.  But 
after  that  time,  white  soldiers  in  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac  were  not  displeased  to  receive  the  support 
of  the  black  ones  ;  they  had  found  the  support  worth 
Jiaving." 


122  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

AROUND  PETERSBURG. 

HERE  it  was  that  Negro  soldiers  covered  them- 
selves with  merited  glory  in  the  presence  of  white 
troops  on  both  sides;  surprising  in  their  daring  to 
officers  trained  at  West  Point,  and  that,  too,  on  the 
very  soil  where  slavery  first  made  its  appearance  in 
this  country. 

The  City  of  Petersburg  lies  on  the  Appomattox 
river  near  the  James,  and  not  far  from  Richmond, 
with  which  it  has  railroad  connection,  and  formed 
the  base  of  supplies  up  the  James  for  the  troops  in 
defence  of  Richmond.  It  therefore  became  an  im- 
portant point  to  reduce.  It  was  strongly  fortified 
on  all  sides  for  miles  out. 

.  The  Task  of  Taking  the  "  Cockade  City,"  as 
it  was  called,  fell  to  Gen.  Smith,  assisted  by  Gen. 
Kautz,  coming  up  on  the  east,  Brooks  following 
Kautz ;  Martindale,  who  was  to  move  up  the  Appo- 
mattox, and  Hinks,  who  moved  between  the  two.  The 
Black  Brigade  was  under  Gen.  Hinks,  who  discov- 
ered a  Confederate  battery  on  a  knoll  six  miles  out 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA.  1  23 

from  the  city.  Under  range  of  the  Confederate  guns 
he  formed  his  line  for  a  charge.  The  battery  must 
be  taken  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet.  "  Forward  !" 
rang  out  along  the  line,  and  as  the  troops  cleared 
the  woods,  the  enemy  opened  a  raking  fire  with 
canister,  siege-gun  and-  musket.  But  away  swept 
the  black  brigade,  their  ranks  shattered  with  deadly 
shells.  As  they  closer  came,  a.fusilade  of  musketry 
came  down  upon  them ;  a  hundred  men  fell ;  but 
leaping  and  dashing,  with  a  wild  cheer,  they  burst 
'over  the  bulwarks,  drove  the  enemy  from  their  guns, 
and  instantly  turned  them  on  their  scattered  ranks 
beating  a  hasty  retreat  towards  Petersburg — and  the 
colored  troops  had  won  the  day. 

Brooks  and  Martindale  were  now  in  front  of 
the  Confederates'  main  line  near  the  river.  Hinks, 
with  his  Negro  corps  of  3000,  was  ordered  towards 
"  Dunn's  House,"  three  miles  from  the  city  on  the 
road  leading  east. 

To  Reach  His  Position  it  was  necessary  to  cross 
an  open  space  in  full  reach  of  the  sharp-shooters 
and  artillery  of  the  enemy.  They  crossed  this  space 
by  moving  forward  a  few  paces  and  then  lying  down ; 
at  every  quiet  moment  they  would  steal  forward; 
they  thus  reached  their  position  under  the  most 
trying  test.  But  on  reaching  their  post,  so  thick 
and  deadly  was  the  firing  from  all  sides  that  they 
dared  not  rise ;  so  thus  they  lay  from  one  till  five 


124  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

o'chock  P.M.,  while  torrents  of  lead  whizzed  over  their 
heads. 

" Dunn's  House."  was  defended  by  three  fortst 
one  in  front,  one  north,  and  another  south.  Deep 
ravines  lay  in  front,  while  an  almost  impassable 
abatis  of  trees  impeded  the  way  to  the  forts.  Seven 
hundred  yards  in  front  lay  Hinks'  black  troops  hun- 
gry for  the  fray.  Thus  they  lay  in  deep  suspense, 
anxious  for  orders  to  go  forward.  Meanwhile, 
shells  plowed  the  earth  around  them  for  four  long 
hours,  which  seemed  to  them  like  days, 

At  Five  o'clock  the  command  "Forward!"  was 
greeted  with  a  rush  and  a  shout.  The  brave  Negro 
troops  went  forward  at  a  double-quick;  the  skir- 
mishers were  the  first  to  reach  the  embankments, 
and  were  greeted  with  a  shower  of  bullets  which 
tumbled  many  headlong  and  lifeless  into  the  pits. 
But  on  came  the  main  body  as  if  impelled  by  light- 
ning ;  they  swept  into  the  midst  of  the  enemy, 
grabbed  their  guns  and  fired  them  upon  them  as 
they  "  ran  for  their  lives."  Three  hundred  Confed- 
erates were  taken  prisoners,  and  several  pieces  of 
artillery  were  captured. 

Smith  Had  Petersburg  now  at  his  mercy. 
Brooks  and  Martindale  had  swept  the  enemy  in 
front  of  them  simultaneously  with  Hinks,  and  the 
way  was  open  to  .march  immediately  into  the  city. 
Gen.  Smith,  however^  decided  to  wait  for  the  arrival 


NEGRO  RA  CE  IN  A  MERICA .  1 25 

of  Gen.  Birney  with  the  Second  Corps — and  this 
delay  caused  the  loss  of  many  thousand  lives. 

Next  Morning,  as  the -sun. peeped  up  over  the 
yellow  waters  of  the  Appomattox,  the  condition  of 
things  had  changed.  The  flower  of  Lee's  army  had 
come  up  in  the  night-time,  and  Grant  was  compelled 
afterwards  to  lay  siege  to  the  city,  under  which  it 
finally  surrendered^ 

Secretary  Stanton  was  wild  with  delight  over  the 
valor  of  the  colored  troops  at  Petersburg.  Said  he  : 
"  The  hardest  fighting  was  done  by  the  black  troops. 
The  forts  they  stormed  were  the  worst  of  all.  After 
the  affair  was  over,  Gen.  Smith  went  to  thank  them, 
and  tell  them  he  was  proud  of  their  courage  and 
dash.  He  says  they  cannot  be  excelled  a*s  soldiers, 
and  that  hereafter  he  will  send  them  in  a  difficult 
place  as  readily  as  the  white  troops." 


126  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

THE  CRATER. 

Petersburg  was  now  surrounded  by  the  Union 
army.  There  was  continual  skirmishing.  Burnside 
commanded  the  Ninth  Corps,  composed  partly  of 
Negro  troops.  By  fierce  fighting  he  made  his  way 
up  to  within  a  hundred  and  fifty  yards  of  the  Con- 
federate batteries.  Projecting  out  in  front  of  them 
was  a  strong  fort.  After  consultation  a  trench  was 
dug  out  some  hundred  and  fifty  yards  long,  branch- 
ing off  in  two  directions  at  the  end  under  the  fort. 
It  was  packed  with  powder  and  explosives,  the  de- 
sign being  to  blow  the  place  up.  As  arranged,  on 
the  3<Dth  of  July,  1864,  the  match  was  applied. 
Dampness  prevented  an  explosion.  Lieut.  Jacob 
Douty  and  Sergeant  Henry  Rus  volunteered  to  go 
into  the  trenches  and  ascertain  and  remove  the 
difficulty,  and  very  soon  after  they  came  out,  at  4.45 
A.M.,  the  match  was  again  applied,  and — read  the 
result,  by  Gen.  Badeau  :  "  The  mine  exploded  with 
a  shock  like  that  of  an  earthquake,  tearing  up  the 
Confederates'  works  above  them,  and  vomiting  men, 
guns  and  caissons,  two  hundred  feet  into  the  air. 
The  tremendous  mass  appeared  for  a  moment  to 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA.  127 

hang  suspended  in  the  heavens  like  a  huge  indented 
cone,  the  exploding  powder  still  flashing  out  here 
and  there,  while  limbs  and  bodies  of  mutilated  men, 
and  fragments  of  cannon  and  wood-work,  could  be 
seen.  Then  all  fell  heavily  to  the  ground  again, 
with  a  second  report  like  thunder*  When  the 
smoke  and  dust  had  cleared  away,  only  an  enormous 
crater,  thirty  feet  deep,  sixty  feet  wide,  and  a  hun- 
dred and  fifty  feet  long,  stretched  out  in  front  of  the 
Ninth  Corps,  where  the  Confederate  fort  had  been/' 

At  the  moment  of  the  explosion  the  Union  bat- 
teries belched  forth  from  one  hundred  and  ten  deadly 
cannon  and  fifty  mortars,  and  verily  the  earth 
seemed  to  tremble  from  the  shock. 

The  Plan  was  to  follow  the  discharge  of  the  bat- 
teries with  a  charge.  Gen.  Burnside  had  arranged 
his  Negro  troops  for  the  post  of  honor.  A  dispute 
arose  between  him  and  Gen.  Meade  as  to  the  wis- 
dom of  this  plan.  The  whole  matter  was  referred 
to  Gen.  Grant,  who  ordered  lots  to  be  drawn  by  the 
different  Generals  as  to  "  who  should  go  into  the 
crater."  The  lot  fell  on  Gen.  Ledlie.  Gen.  Ledlie 
accordingly  endeavored  to  draw  up  his  troops  into 
the  mouth  of  the  crater.  The  Tenth  New  Hamp- 
shire faltered  and  broke  ranks.  Generals  Potter  and 
Wilcox  marched  their  troops  into  the  dreadful  hole, 
where  they  halted  long  enough  for  the  Confederates 
to  make  an  attack. 


J28  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Gen.  Potter  Struggled  out  with  his  division  and 
charged  the  enemy,  but  had  to  retire.  Gen.  Burn- 
side  now  ordered  his  colored  troops  around  the 
edges  of  the  crater;  the  Confederates  were  now 
gathering  around  from  all  sides,  and  under  a  heavy 
fire  drove  the  colored  troops  into  the  deadly  hole, 
from*  -which  they  continued  to  rally  until  nightfall. 

A  Ridiculous  Mistake  was  made  by  the  Federals 
in  not  marching  into  the  city  immediately  after  the 
explosion,  when  the  Confederates  were  nonplussed 
and  breaking  away  in  mad  confusion.  Gen.  Grant 
says  of  this  disgraceful  affair:  "The  four  divisions 
of  his  (Burnside's)  corps  were  commanded  by 
Generals  Potter,  Wilcox,  Ledlie  and  Ferrero.  The 
last  was  a  colored  division  ;  and  Burnside  selected 
it  to  make  the  assault.  Meade  interfered  with 
this.  Burnside  then  took  Ledlie's  division." 

Before  the  committee  that  investigated  the  affair 
Gen.  Grant  said  :  "  General  Burnside  wanted  to  put 
his  colored  division  in  front ,  I  believe  if  he  had 
done  so  it  would  have  been  a  success." 

Four  Thousand  Four  Hundred  Union  soldiers 
perished  through  the  mistake  then  of  not  allowing 
the  colored  troops  to  take  the  Confederate  works 
which  Gen.  Grant  says  they  would  have  taken. 

How  the  Colored  Soldiers  fought  in  the  crater, 
let  the  Confederate  commanders  (some  of  whose 
slaves  were  there)  speak :  "  Ah,  boys,  you  have  got 


NEGRO  RACE  TN  AMERICA. 


hot  work  ahead  —  they  are   Negroes   and  show  no, 
quarter."   (Col.  Stewart.) 

"  Encouraged,  Threatened,  Emulating  the 
white  troops,  the  black  men  fought  with  desperation. 
Some  Confederate  soldiers  recognized  their  slaves  at 
the  crater.  A  Captain  of  the  Forty*first  Virginia 
gave  the  military  salute  to  '  Bob'  and  *  Ben/  whom 
he  had  left  hoeing  corn  in  Dinwiddie." 

Petersburg  being  Captured,  the  siege  of  Rich- 
mond  was  begun  with  a  vigor  and  determination 
such  as  only  a  Grant  could  command.  Meanwhile, 
a  lively  discussion  was  going  on  at  the  Confederate 
capital  as  to  the  proposition  of  Mr.  Benjamin  to  arm 
the  slaves  in  defence  of  the  city.  Gen.  Lee  and  Mr. 
Jefferson  Davis  favored  this  plan,  and  recommended 
that  such  colored  people  as  would  join  the  Confed- 
erate ranks  should  be  set  free. 

Some  Score  or  More  Blacks,  three  of  whom 
were  Mr.  Benjamin's  slaves,  enlisted  and  were  daily 
drilled  in  the  capitol  square,  which  stands  on  an 
eminence  in  the  centre  of  the  city. 

Gen.  Lee  was  now  employing  his  best  troops 
and  military  manoeuvres  to  keep  Grant  out  of  the 
Confederate  capital.  His  retreats  and  skirmishes, 
executed  with  genius  and  tact,  delayed  the  event; 
but  opposed  by  superior  numbers,  his  army  half- 
starved,  and  the  Confederacy  subjugated  in  the 
Southwest,  he  saw  the  uselessness  of  a  further  hope- 


130  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

less  sacrifice  of  his  men,  and  surrendered  accordingly 
at  Appomattox,  on  the  gth  of  April,  1865,  "  he,  and 
his  army,  defeated  in  every  way  possible,  numbering 
27,516,"  and  "  every  man  was  fed  by  the  conqueror." 
When  the  Union  Army  marched  into  Rich- 
mond, the  Confederates  set  the  city  on  fire,  and  com- 
menced a  wholesale  destruction  and  plunder  of 
everything.  Thousands  of  gallons  of  rum  were 
emptied  into  the  streets,  and  staggering  destruction 
of  everything  useful  seethed  in  order.  The  colored 
troops  were 'organized  into  fire  brigades,  and  soon 
extinguished  the  fires  and  stopped  the  plunder  their 
masters  had  begun. 


hEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA.  131 


CHAPTER    XXVI. 

INCIDENTS  OF  THE  WAR. 

Rodman's  Point,  N.  C.,  was  the  scene  of  a 
brave- deed  by  a  Negro.  A  flat-boat  full  of  troops, 
with  a  few  colored  soldiers  among  them,  tried  to 
land  at  this  place.  The  Confederate  soldiers  were 
lying  in  wait  for  the  boat,  and  the  soldiers  in  it  could 
only  save  themselves  by  lying  flat  on  the  bottom 
out  of  reach  of  their  deadly  guns.  But  if  the  boat 
remained  where  it  was  very  long  it  would  be  sur- 
rounded and  captured.  One  of  the  colored  soldiers 
saw  the  danger,  and  knowing  the  boat  must  be 
pushed  off  or  all  would  be  killed,  suddenly  rose  up 
and  said  :  "Somebody  got  to  die  to  get  us  all  out 
dis  'ere,  and  it  mput  jes  as  well  be  me  as  anybody  !" 
Saying  this  he  deliberately  stepped  on,  shore  and 
pushed  the  boat  off.  The  men  in  the  bottom  were 
saved,  but  the  Negro  hero's  body  "  fell  forward  into 
the  end  of  the  boat  pierced  by  five  bullets."  He 
had  done  what  no  other  of  them  dared  do  to  save 
the  lives  of  his  comrades. 

A  Negro  Established  a  Clothes-line  Tele- 
graph in  the  Falmouth  camp  on  the  Rappahannock 


)32  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

in  1863.  The  Confederate  and  Union  armies  occu- 
pied opposite  sides  of  the  river  and  used  every 
means  of  gaining  knowledge  of  each  other's  move- 
ments. The  colored  attendant  in  the  Union  camp 
proved  very  valuable  here  as  elsewhere  during  the 
war.  A  colored  man  named  Dabney  drifted  into 
the  Union  lines  one  day  from  a  neighboring  farm, 
and  soon  proved  very  useful  because  of  his  full 
knowledge  of  the  topography  of  the  country.  He 
was  given  employment  as  "  cook  and  body  servant/' 
He  became  much  interested  in  the  system  of  army 
signals  employed,  and  begged  to  have  them  ex- 
plained to  him.  This  was  done,  and  he  learned 
them  readily.  His  wife  soon  came  over,  and  after 
staying  awhile  was  allowed  to  return  as  servant  to 
a  "secesh  woman"  whom  General  Hooker  was 
about  to  send  to  her  friends  on  the  other  side.  She 
went  over  and  took  a  place  as  laundress  at  "  the 
headquarters  of  a  prominent  rebel  General."  Dab- 
ney, her  husband,  was  on  the  Union  side,  and  soon 
began  to  know  all  about  what  was  to  take  place  in 
the  Confederate  camp.  An  hour  or  two  before  any 
movement  took  place  he  could  tell  all  about  it,  and 
it  always  turned  out  as  he  said.  The  wonder  and 
puzzle  to  the  Union  men  was  how  he  got  his  infor- 
mation, as  he  didn't  seem  to  neglect  his  work  to  go 
off  for  any  information,  and  did  not  converse  with 
the  scouts.  After  numerous  questions  and  many 


NEGRO  RACE  JN  AMERTCA.  133 

requests  he  finally  took  one  of  the  officers  to  a 
prominent  point  near  by,  and  pointed  out  a  cabin  on 
the  banks  of  the  river  in  the  suburbs  of  the  enemy's 
camp.  He  asked  the  officer  if  he  saw  a  clothes-line 
with  clothes  hanging  on  it.  The  officer  replied 
"Yes,"  whereupon  Dabney  said :  "Well,  that  clothes- 
line tells  .me  in  half  an  hour  just  what  goes  .on  int 
their  camp.  You  see,  my  wife  over  there,  she  washes 
for  the  officers,  and  cooks  and  waits  around,  and  as 
soon  as  she  hears  of  any  movement  or  anything 
going  on  she  comes  down  and  moves  the  clothes  on 
that  line  so  I  can  understand  it  in  a  minute.  Tha* 
there  gray  shirt  is  Longstreet,  and  when  she  takes 
it  off  it  means  he's  gone  down  about  Richmond. 
That  white  shirt  means  HKJ,  and  when  she  moves  it 
up  to  the  west  end, of  the  line,  Hill's  Corps  has 
moved  up  stream.  That  red  one  is  Stonewall.  He's 
down  on  the  right  now,  and  if  he  moves  she  will 
move  that  red  shirt."  One  morning  Dabney  came 
in  and  reported  a  movement  over  there,  but  said  it 
"Don't  mean  anything,  they  are  only  making  be- 
lieve." An  officer  went  out  to  look  at  the  clothes- 
line  telegraph  through  his  field-glass..  There  had 
been  quite  a  shifting  over  there  of  the  army  flannels., 
"But  how  do  you  know  but  there's  something  in  it?" 
"Do  you  see  those  two  blankets  pinned  together  at 
the  bottom  ?"  said  Dabney.  "  Yes,  but  what  of  it  ?" 
said  the  officer.  "  Why,  that's  her  way  of  making  a 


134  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

fish-trap  ;  and  when  she  pins  the  clothes  together 
that  way,  it  means  that  Lee  is  only  trying  to  draw 
us  into  his  fish-trap."  As  long  as  the  two  armies 
lay  watching  each  other  on  opposite  banks  of  the 
stream,  Dabney  with  his  clothes-line  telegraph  con- 
tinued to  be  one  of  the  promptest  and  most  reliable 
of  General  Hooker's  scouts.  (Taken  from  Civil 
War — Song  and  Story.) 

William  Staines,  Hero  of  the  Fight  at  Bel- 
mont,  was  servant  to  General  McClernand.  He 
was  close  by  his  employer  during  many  an  engage- 
ment. On  one  occasion,  in  the  course  of  the  fight, 
a  .captain  of  one  of  the  companies  was  struck  by  a 
spent  ball,  which  disabled  him  from  walking.  Staines, 
the  colored  servant,  rode  up  to  him  and  shouted, 
"Captain,  if  you  can  fight  any  longer  for  the  Stars 
and  Stripes,  take  my  horse  and  lead  your  men." 
He  then  dismounted  and  helped  the  wounded  officer 
into  his  saddle,  and,  as  he  was  walking  away,  a  rebel 
dragoon  rushed  forward  at  the  officer  to  take  him 
prisoner.  The  brave  Staines  did  not  flinch,  but  drew 
his  revolver  and  put  a  ball  through  the  rebel's  head, 
scattering  his  brains  over  the  horse's  neck.  (Re- 
vised from  Civil  War— Song  and, Story.) 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA.  1.35 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

THE  END  OF  THE  WAR. 

FOR  four  years  the  American  people  had  been 
fighting  among  themselves.  At  the  outbreak  of  the 
struggle  4:he  freedom  of  the  slaves  was  not  looked 
for  by  many.  But  the  Abolitionists,  who  grew 
stronger  as  the  war  progressed,  pressed  their  views 
upon  the  leaders  of  the  country.  They  took  every 
advantage  of  every  opportunity  to  make  the  freedom 
of  the  slaves  the  main  issue  of  the  war ;  and  their 
efforts,  coupled  with  the  desire  of  the  Union  leaders 
to  weaken  the  Confederacy  by  employing  Negro 
troops,  to  whom  they  offered  freedom,  caused  the 
final  proclamation  of  Mr.  Lincoln,  in  1863,  giymg 
freedom  to  the  slaves. 

In  this  war  there  were  employed  on  the  Union 
side  more  than  186,000  colored  soldiers,  whose 
bravery  stands  vouched  for  by  every  Union,  and 
many  Confederate  generals,  who  saw  them  as  dar- 
ing in  the  face  of  death  as  their  fellow  white  sol- 
diers. 

On  the  Confederate  Side,  there  were  enlisted 
throughout  the  South,  in  various  employments,  some 


136  A  SCHOOL  HfSfORY  OF  THE 

6000  colored  troops.  But  all  over  the  South,  while 
their  masters  were  away  at  war,  the  Negro  women 
and  men  were  enlisted  in  the  ranks  of  the  private 
duties  of  the  Southern  soldiers'  homes,  which,  ever 
be  it  remembered  to  the  honor  and  credit  of  the 
Negro  race  of  America,  they  protected  faithfully  and 
industriously.  The  opportunity  for  outrage  and  plun- 
der was  open  on  every  side,  but  not  a  hurtful  hand 
was  laid  on  the  thousands  of  white  widows,  orphans, 
and  aged,  who  lay  defenceless  in  the  Negroes'  power. 
This  action  on  the  part  of  the  slaves  proves  that  the 
race  is  not  fond  of  bloodshed,  and  is  kind  even  to 
its  foes. 

Some  Plantations,  on  the  contrary,  were  found 
in  better  trim  on  the  return  of  the  masters  from  the 
war  than  when  they  left  them. 

Negro  Body-servants  accompanied  their  mas- 
ters into  the  war,  shared  the  roughs  of  camp-life, 
and  often  were  the  last  to  minister  to  their  wants  in 
the  hospital,  and  the  first  to  bear  the  tidings  home 
to  the  anxious  family  after  death  ,  taking  with  them 
sometimes  the  treasured  watch  or  ring 

Mr.  James  H.  Jones,*  of  Raleigh,  N  C,  served 
as  messenger  to  Mr.  Jefferson  Davis  during  his 


*  He  emphatically  denies  the  assertion  that  lias  gamed  currency,  to  the 
effect  that  Mr.  Jefferson  Davis,  while  escaping  from  the  Union  forces  was  at- 
tired in  female  clothes.  Mr.  J  states  that  the  Confederate  President  used  a 
large  cloak,  which  he  usually  wore  indoors.to  disguise  himself  with. 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA.  137 

Presidency  of  the  Confederacy  at  Richmond.  He 
was  with  him  when  caught  by  the  Union  troops  in 
southwest  Georgia,  and  was  also  confined  with  him 
in  the  "  Rip-Raps,"  at  Hampton  Roads,  Virginia* 
After  the  war,  Mr.  Jones  kept  up  a  correspondence 
with  Mr.  Davis,  until  his  death,  and  received  a  new1 
photograph  whenever  Mr.  Davis  had  a  new  one 
taken.  Mr.  Jones  is  now  an  honored  citizen  of  Ra- 
leigh, and  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Aldermen. 


138  *  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 


CHAPTER    XXVIII. 

RECONSTRUCTION,  1865-08. 

After  the  Surrender  of  Lee  at  Appomattox, 
the  question  arose  as  to  what  should  be  done  with 
the  Southern  States  that  for  four  years  had  rebelled 
against  the  flag  of  the  Union,  and  had  set  up  a  flag 
of  their  own.  The  Southern  flag  was  now  con- 
quered ;  and  the  plan  of  the  North  was  to  restore 
these  conquered  States  into  the  Union.  Amnesty 
was  offered  all  those  who  desired  it.  A  Provisional 
Government  was  first  established  in  North  Carolina, 
with  W.  W.  Holden  at  its  head  ;  other  States  were 
organized  in  the  same  way.  Conventions  were  called 
by  the  Provisional  Governors  of  the  several  States, 
and  new  constitutions  adopted  in  conformity  with  the 
Constitution  of  the  United  States. 

The  Right  to  Vote  was  denied  the  colored  peo- 
ple. Exclusion  from  public  places  was  established 
by  law.  Thirty-nine  lashes  was  the  punishment  for 
keeping  firearms.  When  white  persons  were  im- 
plicated, '  colored  people  could  not  testify  in  the 
courts. 

The  Thirteenth  Amendment  to  the  Constitu- 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA.  139 

tion,  making  the  race  citizens,  was  virtually  made 
nuJl  and  void  by  the  legislatures  of  the  reconstructed 
States.  So  it  became  necessary  to  pass  The  Civil 
Rights  Bill,  giving  the  colored  people  the  right  to 
enter  public  places,  and  ride  on  first-class  railroad 
cars.  This  bill  has  been  declared  unconstitutional 
by  our  Supreme  Court.  Owing  to  the  attempts  of  the 
Ku-Klux  Klan  to  prevent  colored  people  from  voting, 
the  fifteenth  amendment  was  passed  guaranteeing 
to  them  the  right  to  vote  and  to  have  their  votes 
counted.  Thus,  the  eleven  Southern  States  were 
reconstructed  on  a  basis  of  universal  suffrage,  and 
the  colored  race  began  to  develop  statesmen,  orators, 
lawyers,  judges,  teachers  of  various  kinds,  ministers, 

and  discreet,  far-seeing  business  men. 

i 

THE  FREEDMEN'S  BUREAU. 

The  design  of  this  institution  was  to  educate  the 
newly  emancipated  colored  people  into  all  the  ways 
of  freedom.  Schools  were  opened,  to  which  there 
was  a  general  rush,  so  great  was  the  thirst  for 
knowledge.  Many  gray  heads  could  be  seen  among 
the  children,  and  the  "  Blue  Back  Speller  "  was  often 
to  be  seen  even  in  the  Sabbath-schools.  Such  a 
stampede,  such  an  ardent  desire  for  knowledge,  was 
possibly  never  witnessed  anywhere  before.  Many 
very  old  people  learned  to  read  the  Bible,  and  the 


140  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

joy  they  seemed  to  get  from  this  long  coveted  privi- 
lege was  poured  out  in  often  thankful  and  fervent 
prayer. 

Gen.  O.  O.  Howard  was  a  leading  spirit  in  fhe 
establishment  of  the  Freedmen's  Bureau.  His  de- 
sign was  to  make  the  colored  people  better  citizens 
in  every  respect.  With  him  was  associated  a  sainfly 
corps  of  devoted,  missionary-inclined  white  men  and 
women,  who  planted  school-houses  and  churches  in 
many  a  hamlet  .of  this  once  slave-cursed  but  now 
free  land. 

Many  of  These  People  came  from  the  best 
families  of  the4  North,  were  well  educated,  refined 
and  cultured.  Their  pupils  were  not  slow  in  catch- 
ing the  beautiful  graces  of  these  instructors,  and 
their  extra  qualities  are  demonstrated  in  the  won* 
derful  educational  progress  the  race  has  made  within 
only  twenty-six  years  of  actual  freedom. 

The  Plan  was  to  locate  schools  at  central  points 
where  teachers  and  preachers  might  be  trained  to 
go  out  into  the  rural  districts  in  which  the  majority 
of  the  race  still  lived.  The  money  was  contributed 
by  benevolent  people  of  the  North,  and  a  wiser  in- 
vestment, both  for  God  and  humanity,  was  never 
made. 

Through  the  Influence  of  the  Freedmen's  Bu- 
reau the  Southern  States  got  their  present  free- 
school  system,  which  they  did  not  have  before  the 


NEGRO  RA  CE  IN  AMERICA.  1 4  f 

war.  Some  schools  established  during  this  time 
were:  Shaw  University,  Raleigh,  N.  C. ;  Howard 
University,  Washington,  D.  C. ;  Fisk  University, 
Nashville,  Tenn. ;  Atlanta  University,  Atlanta,  Ga. ; 
Hampton  Normal  School,  Hampton,  Va. ;  St.  Au- 
gustine Normal  School,  Raleigh,  and  many  others 
whose  influence  for  good  is  incalculable. 


142  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

PROGRESS  SINCE  FREEDOM. 

Through  a  Century  and  a  Half  we  have  now 
traced  our  ancestors'  history.  We  have  seen  how 
they  performed  the  hard  tasks  assigned  them  by 
their  masters :  following  the  hoe  and  the  plow  with 
a  laugh  and  a  song;  making  magnificent  estates, 
building  mansions,  furnishing  them  with  the  splen- 
dor of  the  times  ;  so  eager  in  patriotism  as  to  be 
the  first  to  shed  their  blood  on  the  altar  of  their 
country's  liberty.  All  this  they  did  with  no  other 
hope  of  reward  than  a  slave's  cabin  and  a  life  of 
bondage  for  themselves  and  children.  Scarcely 
have  they  ever  sought  revenge  in  riot  or  bloodshed. 
Stolen  from  a  home  of  savage  freedom  they  found 
themselves  in  strait  circumstances  as  slaves  in  Amer- 
ica, but  the  greatness  of  the  Negro's  nature  crops 
out  plainly  in  the  wonderful  way  in  which  he  adapted 
himself  to  his  new  conditions.  The  fact  that  he 
went  to  work  willingly,  worked  so  long  and  faith- 
fully, and  rebelled  so  little,  marks  him  as  far  supe- 
rior to  the  Indian,  who  never  accepts  the  conditions 
of  labor,  either  for  himself  or  another  ;  and  univer- 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA.  143 

sally  enjoys  the  rank  of  a  savage  rather  than  that 
of  a  civilized  being.  A  plant  placed  in  the  window 
ofa  dark  chamber  gradually  bends  its  foliage  towards 
the  sunlight ;  so  the  Negro,  surrounded  by  the  dark- 
ness of  slavery,  bent  his  life  toward  the  light  of  his 
master's  God.  He  found  Him.  In  Him  he  trusted, 
to  Him  he  prayed,  from  Him  he  hoped  for  deliver- 
ance ;  no  people  were  ever  more  devout  according 
to  their  knowledge  of  the  word,  no  people  ever  suf- 
fered persecution  more  bravely,  no  people  ever  got 
more  out  of  the  few  talents  assigned  them ;  and  for 
this  humble  devotion,  this  implicit  trust  and  faith- 
fulness, God  has  now  rewarded  them.  ^The  race 
comes  out  of  slavery  with  more  than  it  had  before  it 
went  in.  But  there  was  no  need  of  any  slavery  at  all. 
Ifeamestown,  New  England,  and  the  other  colonies 
might  have  held  the  Negro  long  enough  to  serve 
out  his  passage  from  Africa,  and  then  given  him  his 
freedom,  as  they  did  their  white  slaves  imported 
from  England.  The  mistake  was  made  then ;  the 
mistake  became  a  law  which  the  people  were  edu- 
cated to  believe  was  just.  Many  did  not  believe  it, 
and  some  slaveholders  sought  to  make  the  condition 
of  their  slaves  comfortable.  The  affection  arising 
between  the  slave  and  his  master  often  governed 
the  treatment.  The  Negro  being  largely  endowed 
by  nature  with  affection,  affability,  and  a  forgiving 
spirit,  generally  won  for  himself  good  treatment. 


144  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Then,  too,  the  master  had  some  soul,  and  where 
that  ingredient  of  his  make-up  was  deficient,  a  sel- 
fish interest  in  the  slave  as  his  property  somewhat 
modified  the  venom  that  might  have  more  often 
visited  itself  upon  the  unfortunate  slave  in  lashes  and 
stripes. 

Many  Affections  and  Friendships  formed  be- 
tween master  and  slave  exist  to  the  present  day. 
Some  slaves  are  still  at  the  old  homestead,  condi- 
tions entirely  reversed,  voting  differently  at  the 
polls,  but  friends  at  home  ;  and  in  death  the  family 
of  one  follows  that  of  the  other  to  the  grave. 

When  the  War  Ended,  the  whole  South  was 
in  an  unsettled  condition — property  destroyed,  thou- 
sands of  her  sons  dead  on  the  battle-field,  ncs  credit, 
conquered.  But  if  the  condition  of  the  whites  was 
bad,  that  of  the  blacks  was  worse.  They  were  with- 
out homes,  money,  or  learning.  They  were  now  to 
feed,  clothe,  and  protect  themselves  in  a  goverment 
whose  treasury  they  had  enriched  with  two  centuries 
and  a  half  of  unrequited  labor,  and  a  country  whose 
laws  they  must  obey  but  could  not  read. 

It  was  Natural  that  they  should  make  mistakes. 
But  they  made  less  mistakes  than  the  bummers  who 
came  South  for  plunder  during  reconstruction  times, 
and  with  the  false  promise  of  "  forty  acres  and  a 
mule,"  led  the  unlettered  race  into  a  season  of 
idleness  and  vain  hopes.  But  this  condition  did  not 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA.  145 

last.  The  Negro  inherited  the  ability  to  work  from 
the  institution  of  slavery.  He  soon  set  about  to 
utilize  this  ability.  1  ask  what  race  could  have  done 
more  ?  And  this  the  Negro  has  done,  though  vir- 
tually ostracized  from  the  avenues  of  trade  and  spec- 
ulation. His  admission  to  a  trades-union  is  the  ex- 
ception rather  than  the  rule  in  America.  A  colored 
boy  taking  a  place  as  porter  in  a  store  at  the  same 
time  with  a  white  boy,  may  find  the  white  boy  soon 
promoted  to  a  clerkship,  then  to  a  partnership  in  the 
firm,  if  he  is  smart ;  but  the  colored  boy  remains, 
year  after  year,  where  he  first  commenced,  no  matter 
how  worthy,  no  matter  how  competent.  His  lot  is 
that  of  a  menial;  custom  assigns  him  there,  and  in 
looking  for  clerks  and  partners  he  is  not  thought 
of  by  the  white  business  man  ;  and  thus,  by  the  rigid 
laws  of  custom,  he  has  continually  lost  golden  op- 
portunities to  forge  his  fortune  ;  yet  he  has  pros- 
pered in  spite  of  this,  and  it  bespeaks  for  him  a  su- 
perior manhood. 


10 


146  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

RELIGIOUS  PROGRESS. 

BEFORE  the  war,  the  colored  people  of  the  South 
worshipped  mainly  in  the  white  churches,  or  in  sep- 
arate churches  usually  ministered  to  by  white  pastors. 
But  the  colored  people,  naturally  inclined  to  religion, 
soon  developed  preachers  of  their  own.  They  com- 
posed their  own  music,  which  expressed,  in  their  own 
way,  thanks  and  petitions  to  heaven.  Their  music 
is  original,  entertaining,  and  pathetic — and  the  only 
original  music  of  the  American  Continent,  when 
we  remember  that  other  than  Negro  techniques 
and  melodies  are  all  borrowed  from  the  masters 
of  Europe. 

Debarred  of  the  Privileges  of  schools,  it  is  not 
surprising  that  the  religion  of  the  slaves  should  be 
otherwise  than  somewhat  twisted  from  the  cultured 
tone  of  the  Bible  to  suit  the  whims  of  an  unlettered 
race.  It  can  be  truly  said  though,  that,  considering 
the  circumstances,  they  did  not  bury  the  talents 
given  them.  But  the  religious  progress  since  free- 
dom is  so  marvellous  as  to  completely  overshadow 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA. 


147 


much  of  the  darkness  of  the  past.  Let  us  notice 
briefly  several  of  the  great  religious  denominations 
of  the  race.  The  colored  people  produce  less  infi- 
dels than  any  other  similar  number  of  people  in 
America.  They  are  proverbially  religious  and  God- 
fearing. 


Bishop  W.  J.  Gaines. 


Bishop  W.  J.  Gaines  is  a  representative  of 
what  twenty-five  years  of  freedom  has  done  in  many 
instances  for  the  colored  race.  He  was  born  a 
slave  in  Georgia  on  the  plantation  of  the  famous 
Robert  Toombs,  member  of  the  Confederate  Cabi- 


148  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

net..  He  had  reached  his  majority  before  the  war 
ended,  and  it  is  needless  to  say  his  chances  for  early 
culture  were  very  meagre.  But,  nevertheless,  he 
learned  to  read  at  odd  moments,  and  after  freedom 
applied  himself  to  his  books  with  undaunted  and 
determined  zeal.  He  often  speaks  of  how  "I  made 
up  my  mind  when  I  entered  the  ministry  to  reach 
the  highest  position  in  my  church  through  merit'* 
He  has  won  his  coveted  prize  in  this  respect ;  and 
each  step  of  his  life,  from  the  plow-handle  to  the 
Bishopric,  has  been  markedly  illustrious.  He  is  a 
living  argument  of  the  innate  genius  of  the  race, 
that  might,  like  the  poet's  rose,  have  been  u  born  to 
blush  unseen,"  but  for  the  fact  that  he  embraced  the 
possibilities  that  freedom  opened  up  before  him. 
He  is  of  commanding  presence,  dignified,  and  a 
natural  leader  of  men.  It  is  an  inspiration  to  be  in 
his  presence,  and  his  appearance  on  the  rostrum  is 
natural  and  complete. 

He  has  possibly  built  more  church  edifices  than 
any  other  member  of  his  denomination.  Morris 
Brown  College,  of  Atlanta,  worth  something  over 
seventy  thousand  dollars,  is  the  work  of  his  hands, 
and  that  of  itself  would  sufficiently  speak  for  his 
ability,  without  referring  to  thousands  of  dollars 
raised  for  other  purposes.  Bishop  Gaines  can  be 
counted  on  to  foster  and  encourage  any  enterprise 
tending  to  the  benefit  of  the  Negro  race,  and,  he 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA.  149 

never  fails  to  encourage  the  young  people  who  are 
anxious  to  rise. 

The  A.  M.  E.  Church,  founded  by  Rev.  Richard 
Allen,  of  Philadelphia,  Penn.,  because  of  the  spirit 
of  caste  and  race  prejudice  of  the  Protestant  Church 
during  and  after  the  American  Revolution,  has  ex- 
erted a  broad  and  unmeasured  influence  upon  the 
Negro  race.  From  a  meeting  held  in  1816,  at  Rev. 
Allen's  private  house,  has  sprung  surprising  results. 
It  has  3394  churches,  valued  at  $5,028,126;  660 
parsonages,  valued  at  $312,763.75,  and  the  total 
valuation  of  church  property  is  $5,341,889.25.  It 
has  a  publication  department,  which  sends  out  the 
Christian  Recorder  and  A.  M.  E.  Review  to  thou- 
sands of  people.  The  salaries  of  the  editors  of  these 
papers  amount  to  $10,800.  In  1887,  the  money 
raised  for  all  purposes  was  $1,064,569.50,  with  an 
indebtedness  of  $509,113.24.  Wilberforce  Univer- 
sity is  a  noted  institution  controlled  by  the  A.  M.  E. 
Church.  The  influence  of  this  church  for  good 
among  the  people  cannot  be  measured.  The  bish- 
ops are  an  extraordinary  set  of  learned  men,  many 
of  whom  are  self-made,  but  yet  are  authors,  orators, 
linguists,  theologians  and  scholars  that  will  compare 
favorably  with  the  best  theological  brain  of  America. 

Rev.  E.  M.  Brawley,  of  Charleston,  S.  C,  is 
noced  especially  for  his  sober,  earnest  and  pious 
Christian  life.  He  is  a  scholarly  gentleman,  and 


150 


A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 


Rev.  E.  M.  Brawley. 

thoroughly  devoted  to  the  interests  of  his  people. 
It  has  beeh  his  fortifne  to  be  President  of  Selma 
University,  Ala.;  Sunday-school  agent  in  South 
Carolina,  and  editor  of  the  Baptist  Tribune.  Such 
a  hard-working,  zealous  and  thoroughly  honest  man 
should  be  a  pride  to  any  race. 

The  Baptist  Church  was  founded  by.  Roger 
Williams.  The  church  officers  derive  their  power 
from  the  members*  In  the  beginning,  Roger  Wil- 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA.  151 

liams'  influence  had  a  tendency  to  keep  down  race 
prejudice.  But  from  the  rapid  increase  of  slaves, 
the  feeling  grew  until  self-interest  demanded  a  sep- 
aration. They  form  a  body  of  useful  and  intelligent 
people.  Kentucky  has  a  host  of  Baptists,  who  own 
much  valuable  property.  There  are  more  Baptists 
in  Virginia  than  in  any  other  Southern  State.  Some 
of  the  churches  have  very  large  congregations. 
There  are  a  large  number  of  Baptist  churches  in 
the  District  of  Columbia,  some  of  which  have  in- 
teresting histories.  Among  the  noble,  true  and 
faithful  workers  of  the  Baptists  are  Duke,  Williams, 
Anderson,  and  Leonard,  Andrew  Grimes  and  Dr. 
W.  J.  Simmons  (deceased),  of  Louisville,  Ky.,  who 
have  consecrated  their  lives  to  their  church  in  the 
spreading  of  the  Gospel. 

The  Baptist  Church  exercises  a  religious  and 
educationaHrifluence  over  more:  colored  people  than 
any  other  denomination  in  America.  I  gather  from 
the  minutes  of  their  National  Convention  of  1887, 
that  they  have  a  total  membership  in  the  United 
States  of  1,155,486;  and  that  they  have  6605  or- 
dained ministers,  3304  Sabbath-schools  with  10,718 
teachers  and  officers  and  194,492  pupils.  They  owij 
$3,056,571  worth  of  church  property.  They  operate 
twenty-five  colleges  and  seminaries,  worth  $1,072- 
140,  and  in  which  are  annually  taught  more  than 
3609  pupils. 


152  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  TffE 

The  A.  M.  E.  Zion  Church  is  another  of  the 
powerful  religious  denominations  among  the  col- 
ored people,  and  is  everywhere  urging  the  race  to 
a  higher  standard  of  living  in  all  respects.  Their 
membership  is  in  the  neighborhood  of  500,000. 
They  support  and  control,  entirely,  Livingston  Col- 
lege, of  Salisbury,  N.  C.,  a  progressive  and  well- 
manned  institution,  and  the  Star  of  Zion,  the  church 
organ,  ably  edited  by  Mr.  John  C.  Dancy.  The  Liv- 
ingston College  Faculty  is  all  colored,  and  it  has 
property  valued  at  over  $100,000. 

The  Northern  Methodist  Church  supports 
'many  churches  in  the  South  ministered  over  by 
colored  pastors.  There  are  several  schools  sup- 
ported by  them,  prominent  among  which  is  Bennet 
College  of  Greensboro,  N.  C.,  and  controlled  en- 
tirely by  a  colored  Faculty.  Other  schools  of  this 
denomination,  manned  by  white  Faculties,  are,  with 
Bennet  College,  doing  a  most  necessary  and  bene- 
ficial work  among  the  colored  people.  So  might  be 
mentioned  schools  and  churches  supported  by 
Northern  iPresbyterians,  Northern  Congregational- 
ists,  Episcopalians,  and  other  denominations,  all  of 
which  are  to  be  reckoned  as  great  uplifting  agencies 
among  the  colored  people.  Some  of  the  Northern 
societies  spend  hundreds  of  thousands  of  dollars 
every  year  on  Negro  education  and  religion  in  the 
South.  The  daily  expenditure  of  the  American 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA. 


153 


154  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Missionary  Association  for  schools  and  churches  in 
the  South  is  estimated  at  $1200. 

The  Presbyterian  Church  has  not  spread  as 
rapidly  among  the  Negroes  as  some  other  forms 
of  belief,  and  yet  within  the  past  twenty-five  years 
that  church  has  taken  a  strong  hold  among  them, 
chiefly  in  Virginia,  the  Carolinas,  Georgia,  Florida, 
and  Tennessee.  Within  the  territory  embraced  in 
these  States,  there  are  2  Synods,  10  Presbyteries, 
200  ministers,  250  churches,  18,000  communicants, 
and  1 5,000  Sabbath-school  scholars.  Except  twelve 
or  fifteen  ministers,  and  a  few  score  members, 
these  synods  are  composed  of  Negroes,  who  con- 
trol the  affairs  of  the  churches  and  schools.  They 
are  in  ecclesiastical  fellowship  with  the  Northern 
Presbyterian  Church.  Their  organ  is  the  Africa- 
American  Presbyterian,  published  at  Charlotte,  N. 
C,  by  the  Africo-American  Presbyterian  Publishing 
Company,  with  Rev.  D.  J.  Sanders,  D.D.,  as  editor. 
This  journal  has  a  wide  circulation. 

Educational  Work  of  the  Presbyterians.— 
Under  the  auspices  of  the  Presbyterians  are  Lincoln 
University,  Oxford,  Pennsylvania,  which  is  their 
leading  institution  for  educating  colored  men,  and 
from  which  more  Negro  graduates  have  gone  out, 
into  all  the  professions  and  as  ministers  and  teach- 
ers, into  the  different  denominations,  than  from  any 
similar  school  in  the  country;  Biddle  University, 


NEGRO  RA  CE  IN  A  W  ERICA .  ]  55 

Charlotte,  N.  C.,  ranking  among  the  first  in  the 
South,  now  presided  over  by  Rev.  D.  J.  Sanders, 
D.D.,  has  an  able  Faculty  of  white  anc\  colored  men; 
and  the  far-famed  Scotia  Seminary,  at  Concord,  N. 
C.,  under  the  presidency  of  Rev.  D.  J.  Satterfield, 
D.D.,  with  an  able  corps  of  teachers.  Scotia  Semi- 
nary has  done,  and  is  doing,  much  for  the  education 
of  colored  girls,  and  ranks  second  to  none  of  the 
seminaries  of  its  kind.  The  attendance  last  year 
was  240,  and  accommodations  are  being  provided 
for  1 50  more. 


156  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

CHAPTER  XXXI. 

EDUCATIONAL  PROGRESS. 

Can  the  Negro  learn  anything?  was  the  first 
question  he  had  to  answer  after  schools  were  estab- 
lished for  him.  He  has  answered  this  question  sat- 
isfactorily to  the  most  incredulous  in  every  instance 
where  brought  to  a  test.  The  fact  that  every  slave 
State  had  laws  against  his  being  taught  before  the 
war,  and  that  they  opposed  it  afterwards,  ought  to 
be  a  sufficient  answer.  But  if  this  is  not  sufficient, 
let  speak  the  deeds  of  Professor  Scarborough,  of 
Macon,  Ga.,  author  of  a  series  of  Greek  text-books 
which  have  been  adopted  at  Yale  ;  George  W.  Wil- 
liams, author  of  "  History  of  the  American  Negro  ;" 
•Jos.  T.  Wilson,  author  of  "  Black  Phalanx ;"  C.  G. 
Morgan,  class  orator  at  Harvard,  1890,  and  a  host 
of  others. 

WHAT  THE  SOUTH   IS  DOING  FOR  NEGRO  EDUCATION. 

It  would  be  a  serious  error  to  omit,  in  speaking 
of  the  educational  progress  of  the  Negro  since  free- 
dom, what  has  been  done  to  help  him  by  the  South- 
ern States.  Though  at  first  bitterly  opposed  to 
Negro  education,  there  has  been  a  wonderful  change 
of  sentiment  on  this  subject.  They  made  laws 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA.  157 

against'  Negro  education  before  the  war,  now  they 
make  laws  for  it.  In  the  more  liberal  portions  of 
many  Southern  States,  good  schools  are  provided 
For  the  colored  children.  Some  States  have  asylums 
for  the  deaf,  dumb,  blind  and  insane.  The  Institute 
for  these  unfortunates  at  Raleigh,  N.  C,  is  entirely 
supported  by  the  State,  which  employs  a  most  com- 
petent colored  Principal  in  the  person  of  Professor 
W.  F.  Debnam,  Texas  has  a  similar  school  The 
South  spends  annually  about  $6,000,000  on  Negro 
schools,,  and  this  sum  will  soon  be  increased.  Sortie 
of  the  States  have  Normal  Schools,  Universities  and 
Training  Schools  for  the  colored  youth.  There  are 
some  who  oppose  Negro  education  on  the  ground 
that  the  whites  pay  two-thirds  of  the  taxes.  A  false 
position  this — the  laborer  and  consumer  pay  the 
taxes  on  capital.  The  Negro  is  the  laborer  of  the 
South,  and  a  large  consumer.  He  produces  more 
than  a  billion  dollars  worth  of  farm  products  annu- 
ally, not  estimating  other  products  ;  and  it  is  his  toil, 
his  muscle  that  makes  the  school-fund  ;  and  out  of 
the  inexhaustible  store-house  of  his  own  labor  doeshe 
draw  his  quota  of  the  appropriation  for  the  schools. 
The  High  Schools,  Seminaries,  Colleges  and 
Professional  Schools  for  the  colored  people,  number 
nearly  two  hundred.  Many  of  them  are  controlled 
entirely  by  colored  Faculties,  as  Livingston  and  Ben- 
nett Colleges,  N.  C. ;  Morris  Brown  College,  Ga.; 


158  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Tuskegee  Normal  School,  Ala. ;  Wilberfbrce  Uni- 
versity, Ohio;  Virginia  Normal  and  Collegiate 
Institute;  Kittrell's  Normal  and  Industrial  Insti- 
tute, and  Shaw  University,  except  its  President, 
who  is  white,  but  one  of  the  first  Presidents  to 
recognize  the  ability  of  young  colored  men  to 
teach  the  higher  branches.  Dr.  H.  M.  Tupper 
inaugurated  a  movement  by  putting  young  colored 
men  at  work  in  Shaw  University,  which  has  been 
followed  by  many  of  the  other  schools  supported  by 
donations  from  white  friends  in  the  North.  The 
plan  works  admirably  well,  and,  besides  teaching 
the  race  to  confide  in  the  ability  of  its  own  educated 
men  and  women,  it  affords  lucrative  employment  to 
many  who  are  by  nature  and  choice  fitted  for  the 
work  of  teaching. 

A  Self-made  Man  is  a  worthy  description  when 
applied  to  a  Saxon.  But  a  knowledge  of  the  facts 
will  teach  us  that  nine-tenths  of  all  the  leading  Ne- 
groes were  and  are  self-made.  The  royal  road  to 
knowledge  is  beyond  question  closed  to  the  young 
colored  man. 

There  is  No  Large  Estate  to  draw  on  for 
school  bills ;  no  rich  uncle  or  kinsman  to  foot  the 
bill  and  wait  till  success  in  after  years  for  a  settle- 
ment. His  own  brawny  muscle  is  usually  the  young 
colored  student's  means  of  support.  Many  of  them 
work  in  school  between  hours.  In  fact,  most  of  the 


XEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA. 


159 


160  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

schools  for  colored  people  in  the  South  assign  cer- 
tain hours  each  day  in  which  the  students  are  to 
labor.  Some  institutions  do  not  spend  one  cent  for 
domestic  labor  during  the  whole  of  the  school  terms. 
Yet  they,  in  some  instances,  raise  quite  enough  farm 
and  garden  products  for  their  tables,  and  sometimes 
make  brick  enough  to  put  up  extra  buildings.  The 
time  usually  used  by  the  white  student  in  foot-ball 
and  other  games  is  utilized  by  the  colored  student 
in  faithful  toil.  The  fact  that  in  none  of  the  colored 
schools  the  expense  for  tuition,  board,  lodging,  laun- 
dry-work and  incidentals  is  over  $12  per  month 
(and  in  some  cases  it  is  as  low  as  $6),  is  a  strong 
argument  in  favor  of  the  help  the  Negro  youth  fur- 
nishes towards  his  own  education.  People  with 
such  a  love  for  knowledge  that  they  are  willing  to 
thus  toil  for  it,  may  be  relied  upon  to  use  that 
knowledge  properly. 

When  the  War  Closed  there  were  about  four 
million  colored  people  in  the  United  States.  Scarcely 
a  million  of  them  could  read.  Now  they  number 
about  eight  millions,  and  nearly  half  of  them  can 
read.  There  are  1,158,008  colored  children  in  the 
schools,  annually  taught  by  20,000  Negro  teachers. 
The  colored  people  of  the  South  have  made  more 
progress  in  education  since  the  war  than  in  anything 
else  ;  and  they  are  still  thirsty  for  knowledge.  The 
schools  everywhere  are  crowded.  The  love  of 
knowledge  seems  to  be  instinctive,  and  thousands  of 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA. 


faithful  mothers  spend  many  weary  nights  at  the 
ironing-board  and  wash-tub  in  order  to  get  money 
to  help  their  children  obtain  an  education.  With 
the  start  they  now  have,  twenty-five  years  more  of 
earnest  work  will  show  marvellous  changes  in  the 
educational  condition  of  the  race  No  people  ever 
learned  more  in  so  short  a  time. 

MUSICAL    PROGRESS. 

The  Fisk  Jubilee  Singers  have  sung  the  fame 
of  the  Negro  in  all  America,  much  of  Europe  and 
Australia.  The  slave  music  is  the  only  original 
music  of  America.  The  Indian  has  none,  and  white 
Americans  have  borrowed  from  the  masters  of 
Europe.  Negro  melodies  are  now  a  part  of  the 
classical  music  of  this  country.  The  peculiarity  of 
Negro  song  is  its  pathos  and  trueness  to  nature.  It 
stirs  the  soul  and  revives  a  sunken  hope.  Travel- 
lers describe  the  music  of  the  native  African  as  sung 
in  a  major  key,  which  key  characterizes  the  songs 
of  a  conquering  people.  Slavery  has  not  extracted 
this  characteristic  totally  from  the  American  Negro's 
songs.  While  he  sings  not  the  conquering  major 
of  battle,  he  thrills  you  with  the  pleasing  minor  of 
hope.  Dr.  Tal mage  says:  "Everybody  knows  the 
natural  gift  of  the  African  for  singing.  No  singing 
on  this  continent  like  that  of  the  colored  churches 
in  the  South.  Everybody  going  to  Richmond  or 

Charleston  wants  to  hear  the  Africans  sing." 

11 


A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

FINANCIAL  PROGRESS. 

The  Freedmen's  Savings  Bank,  though  it 
failed,  furnishes  a  strong  argument  in  favor  of  the 
thrift  and  industry  of  the  recently  emancipated 
slaves.  In  this  bank  the  colored  people  deposited 
during  the  years  between  1866  and  1871,  about 
$57,000,000.  The  original  design  of  this  institution 
was  doubtless  good,  but  it  fell  into  bad  hands,  and 
the  consequence  was  a  most  disgraceful  failure. 

The  Negro's  Confidence  in  banks  was,  on  his 
first  trial  of  them,  badly  shaken.  He  has  not  re- 
covered yet.  Many  colored  people  who  would  de- 
posit their  money  now,  are  reluctant  to  do  so  when 
they  remember  the  "  Freedmen's  Bank  failure." 
The  branch  offices  of  the  bank  in  the  different  States 
were  placed  in  the  hands  of  colored  men  who  worked 
for  salaries  under  instructions  from  the  home  office. 
To  this  day  sentiment  attaches  blame  on  these  coU 
ored  bank  officers,  who  themselves  were  as  much 
deluded  as  the  depositors.  It  was  a  sad  and  dis- 
graceful piece  of  legalized  robbery.  But  the  Negro 
is  putting  his  money  in  other  enterprises*  and  though 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA.  163 

unsuccessful  in  his  first,  his  last  efforts  at  economy 
are  bearing  rich  fruit.  The  property  owned  by  the 
colored  people  now  is  computed  at  the  following 
figures: 

Twenty-five  Years'  Accumulations  :  Ala- 
bama, $9,200,125  ;  Arkansas,  $8,010,315  ;  Florida, 
$7,900,400;  Georgia, $10,4 1 5» 33°;  Kentucky,  $5, 900- 
oio  Louisiana,  $18,100,528  ;  Mississippi,  $13,400,- 
213  Missouri,  $6,600,343  >  North  Carolina,  $i  1,010,- 
652  South  Carolina,  $12,500,000-;  Texas,  $18,010,- 
545  ;  Tennessee,  $10,400,211  ;  Virginia,  $4,900,000. 

The  Colored  Churches  in  the  United  States 
own  $16,310,441  ;  the  total  amount  of  property 
owned  by  the  colored  people  in  all  the  States  is  rated 
at  over  $263,000,000. 

Much  Property  is  owned  by  the  colored  people 
of  the  North  and  West.  Some  of  their  estates  run 
high  into  the  hundred  thousands.  Many  of  them, 
though  shut  out  almost  entirely  from  the  trades 
and  business  avenues,  have  accumulated  handsome 
homes,  and  live  in  elegance  and  refinement. 

Rev.  A.  G.  Davis,  of  Raleigh,  N.  C.,  in  an  ad- 
dress at  the  North  Carolina  Colored  Agricultural 
Fair,  said,  in  reference  to  the  Negro's  progress,  this, 
among  other  things :  "  Scan,  if  you  will,  the  long 
line  of  eight  million  Negroes  as  they  march  slowly 
but  surely  up  the  road  of  progress,  and  you  will  find 
in  her  ranks  such  men  as  Granville  T,  Woods,  of 


JtH  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Ohio,  the  electrician,  mechanical  engineer,  manufac* 
turer  of  telephones,  telegraph  and  electrical  instru- 
ments ;  William  Still,  of  Philadelphia,  the  coal- 
dealer;  Henry  Tanner,  the  artist;  John  W.  Terry, 
foreman  of  the  iron  and  fitting  department  of  the 
Chicago  West  Division  Street  Car  Company ;  J.  D. 
Baltimore,  engineer,  machinist,  and  inventor,  of 
Washington,  D.  C. ;  Wiley  Jones,  of  Pine  Bluff, 
Ark.,  the  owner  of  a  street  car  railroad,  race-track, 
and  park;  Richard  M.  Hancock,  foreman  of  the 
pattern  shops  of  the  Eagle  Works  and  Manufac- 
turing Co.,  and  draughtsman ;  John  Black,  the  in- 
ventor, whose  inventions  are  worth  tens  of  thou- 
sands ;  W.  C.  Atwood,  the  lumber  merchant  and 
capitalist*  To  this  we  might  add  a 

LIST  OF  THE  NAMES   OF    A    FFW  WEALTHY  COLORED 
PEOPLE  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

Quoted  at 

Amanda  Eubanks,  of  Georgia,    .     .     .  $400,000 

William  Still,  Philadelphia,       .     .     .  2oo;ooo 

B.  K.  Bruce,  Washington,  D.  C.,      .     .  200,000 

Mrs.  M.  Carpenter,  San  Francisco,       .     .  300,000 

John  McKee,  Philadelphia, 300,000 

Robert  Purvis,  Washington,  D.  C.,  .     .     .  150,000 

Mrs.  Mars,  New  York, 100000 

Mr.  Smith,  New  York,  . 150,000 

Mr.  D.  C.  White,  New  York, 130000 


NEQ  RO  RACE  IN  A  MERTCA  . 


Quoted  at 

Mr.  W.  C.  Coleman,  North  Carolina,  .     .  100,000 

Bishop  Beebee,  North  Carolina,  .     .     ..    *  50,000 

Fred.  Douglass,  Washington,  D.  C.,     .     »  200,000 

Bowers'  Estate,  Philadelphia,  .     .     .     >     .  80,000 

Ex.  Gov.  P.  S.  B.  Pinchback,  Louisiana,    .,  150,000 
Mr.  J.  H.  Lewis,    of  Boston,    formerly  of 

North  Carolina,      ........  70,000 

The  Morrisettes,  of  South  Carolina,     .     .f  130,000 

John  Thomas,  Baltimore,    .....     .  1  50,000 

W.  Q.  Atwood,  Baltimore,      .     .     .     .     .  300,000 

Mr.  Avery  Smith,  Florida,  .....     *  80,000 

Several  in  Alabama,       .......  50,000 

Fifty  in  North  Carolina,      .     .     .     .     .     .  10,000 

Fifty  in  Georgia,  .........  10,000 

One  hundred  in  Louisiana,      .     *     •.     .     .  10,000 

Twelve  in  Mississippi,    .     ......  10,000 

Sixty  in  Texas,      ........  10,000 

Fifty  in  Virginia,  .........  10,000 

All  the  States  have  numbers  of  colored  individ- 
uals whose  wealth  is  rated  between  five  and  ten, 
thousand  dollars. 

In  closing  this  chapter  on  the  progress  of  the  race 
since  the  war,  we  desire  to  say  to  you,  our  young 
readers,  that  much  has  been  done,  as  you  have  read 
in  this  chapter,  to  raise  the  race  in  the  estimation 
of  the  world,  but  much  more  remains  to  be  done* 


166  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

What  has  been  said  in  this  chapter  is  not  to  make 
you  content  and  satisfied,  but  rather,  to  inspire  new 
zeal  and  fresh  courage,  that  each  one  of  you  may 
add  something  more  to  what  has  already  been  ac- 
complished. You  can,  you  must,  and  we  believe 
you  will.  Do  not  falter  on  account  of  difficulties. 
Set  your  standard  high  and  go  to  it,  remejnbering 
that  labor,  coupled  with  a  strong  devotion  to  integ* 
rity,  will  surely  conquer. 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA.  167 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

SOME  NOTED  NEGROES. 

Hon.  Hiram  R.  Revels,  a  native  of  North  Car- 
olina, graduate  of  Knox  College,  111.,  A.  M.  E.  min- 
ister, President  of  Alcorn  University,  Mississippi, 
elected  to  the  State  Senate,  Mississippi,  was  the 
first  Negro  to  hold  the  position  of  U.  S.  Senator, 
elected  to  fill  the  place  of  Jefferson  Davis  in  1869, 
to  the  wonder  and  surprise  of  all  America. 

Hon.  J.  Mercer  Langston,  A.B.,  A.M.,  LL.D.; 
great  Indian-Anglo-Saxon  Negro.  Grew  to  man- 
hood, educated  and  pursued  a  business  and  official 
life  in  Ohio  up  to  time  of  manhood.  He  made  un- 
successful attempts,  on  account  of  his  color,  in  New 
York  and  Ohio,  to  attend  the  law  schools.  After 
attempting  private  lessons,  he  grew  discouraged 
and  graduated  from  the  Theological  Department  of 
Oberlin  College,  Ohio.  He  then  studied  law  and 
was  admitted  to  the  bar.  After  this  he  was  made 
Dean  and  Professor  of  Law  at  Howard  University, 
where  he  received  the  degree  of  LL.D.  President 
Hayes  appointed  him  U.  S.  Minister  and  Consul- 
General  to  Hayti,  which  position  he  honorably  held 


168  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

eight  years.     He  was  also  President  of  the  Virginia 
Normal  Collegiate  Institute. 

Hon.  Robert  Small,  the  pilot  and  captain  of  the 
steamer  Planet,  also  the  Congressman,  must  not  be 


Robert  Small. 

overlooked  on  these  pages.  Moving  from  Beaufort; 
South  Carolina,  to  Charleston  in  '51,  he  was  em- 
ployed as  "  rigger,"  thereby  getting  a  knowledge  of 
ships  and  the  life  of  sailors.  His  greatest  work  was 
with  the  Planter,  a  Confederate  transport  steamer 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA.  169 

in  '61,  afterwards  used  as  a  dispatch  boat.  The 
officers  retired  from  the  boat  on  the  night  of  May 
13,  1862,  and  left  eight  colored  men  on  watch,  Small 
being  one  of  the  number.  He  was  only  called  a 
wheelman  then,  but  in  reality  was  a  pilot.  He  with 
the  others  on  board  conceived  the  risky  plan  of 
giving  the  boat  over  to  the  Federals.  Everything 
being  ready,  and  after  taking  on  Small's  wife  and 
three  children,  they  started  out  at  2  o'clock.  In  pass- 
ing out  of  the  harbor  and  by  each  fort  the  steamer 
gave  her  signals  as  though  the  Confederate  captain 
was  on  board,  and  everything  was  all  right.  The 
dangerous  plan,  which  if  it  had  been  found  out  would 
have  ended  in  instant  death,  was  a  success.  The 
boat  was  given  over  to  the  Federal  Captain  Nichols, 
who  found  her  quite  an  additional  help  to  the 
Union. 

ROBERT  B.  ELLIOTT. 

On  the  pages  of  history  no  name  shines  forth 
with  more  lustre  than  that  of  Hon.  Robert  B.  Elliott. 
He  was  one  of  earth's  sons,  plucked  too  soon  to 
reap  the  harvest  which  was  in  store  for  him.  This 
eloquent  orator  and  distinguished  lawyer  was  a 
graduate  from  an  English  college.  After  finishing 
there  he  studied  law  under  Fitz- Herbert,  of  the 
London  bar.  He  then  came  to  the  United  States, 
and  began  his  brilliant  and  successful  career.  It 


170  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

was  in  the  Forty-second  Congress,  while  a  repre- 
sentative of  South  Carolina,  that  he  impressed  him- 
self indelibly  upon  the  minds  of  his  country  as  a 
man  of  giant  intellect  and  rare  oratorical  ability. 
Alexander  Stephens  of  Georgia,  Beck  of  Kentucky, 
Harris  of  Virginia,  had  severely  assailed  the  con- 
stitutionality of  the  Civil  Rights  Bill,  after  which 
Mr.  Elliott  arose  and  addressed  the  House  as  fol- 
lows, an  effort  that  bespeaks  the  ability  of  the  man : 
*'  Mr.  Speaker,  while  I  am  sincerely  grateful  for  the 
high  mark  of  courtesy  that  has  been  accorded  me 
by  this  House,  it  is  a  matter  of  regret  to  me  that  it 
*S  necessary  at  this  day  that  I  should  rise  in  the 
presence  of  an  American  Congress  to  advocate  a 
Bill  which  simply  asserts  rights  and  equal  privileges 
for  all  classes  of  American  citizens.  I  regret,  sir, 
that  the  dark  hue  of  my  skin  may  lend  a  color  to  the 
imputation  that  I  am  controlled  by  motives  personal 
to  myself  in  my  advocacy  of  this  great  measure  of 
natural  justice.  Sir,  the  motive  that  impels  me  is 
restricted  by  no  such  narrow  boundary,  but  is  as 
broad  as  your  Constitution.  I  advocate  it,  sir,  be- 
cause it  is  right.  The  bill,  however,  not  only  appeals 
to  your  justice,  but  it  demands  a  response  to  your 
gratitude.  In  the  events  that  led  to  the  achieve- 
ment of  American  independence  the  Negro  was  not 
an  inactive  or  unconcerned  spectator.  He  bore  his 
part  bravely  upon  many  battle-fields,  although  un- 


NEGKO  RA  CE  IN  A  ME  RICA .  171 

cheered  by  that  certain  hope  of  political  elevation 
which  victory  would  secure  to  the  white  man.  The 
tall  granite  shaft  which  a  grateful  State  has  reared 
above  its  sons  who  fell  in  defending  Fort  Griswold 
against  the  attack  of  Benedict  Arnold,  bears  the 
name  of  John  Freeman  and  others  of  the  African 
race,  who  there  cemented  with  their  blood  the  corner- 
stone of  your  Republic.  In  the  State  which  I  have 
had  the  honor  in  part  to  represent,  the  rifle  of  the 
black  man  rang  out  against  the  troops  of  the  British 
crown  in  the  darkest  days  of  the  American  Revolu- 
tion  I  meet  him  (Stephens)  only  as  an  ad- 
versary, nor  shall  age  or  any  other  consideration 
restrain  me  from  saying  that  he  now  offers  this 
Government,  which  he  has  done  his  utmost  to  de- 
stroy, a  very  poor  return  for  its  magnanimous  treat- 
ment, to  come  here  to  seek  to  continue,  by  the  as- 
sertion of  doctrines  obnoxious  to  the  true  principles 
of  our  Government,  the  burdens  and  oppressions, 
which  rest  upon  five  millions  of  his  countrymen  who 
never  failed  to  lift  their  earnest  prayers  for  the  suc- 
cess of  this  Government,  when  the  gentleman  was 
asking  to  break  up  the  Union  of  the  States,  and  to 
blot  the  American  Republic  from  the  galaxy  of  na- 
tions." ....  He  related  to  Mr.  Beck  the  story  of 
the  fleeing  of  the  Kentucky  soldiers  at  a  most  urgent 
time  during  the  second  war  with  Great  Britain, 
and  then  proceeded  to  say  :  "  In  quoting  this  indis-* 


172  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

putable  piece  of  history,  I  do  so  only  by  way  of  ad- 
monition, and  not  to  question  the  well-attested  gal- 
lantry of  the  true  Kentuckian,  and  to  suggest  to  the 
gentleman  that  he  should  not  flaunt  his  heraldry  so 
proudly  while  he  bears  this  bar-sinister  on  the  mili- 
tary escutcheon  of  his  State — a  State  which  answered 
the  call  of  the  Republic  in  1861,  when  treason  thun- 
dered at  the  very  gates  of  the  capital,  by  coldly  de- 
claring her  neutrality  in  the  impending  struggle. 
The  Negro,  true  to  that  patriotism  that  has  ever 
characterized  and  marked  his  history,  came  to  the 
aid  of  the  Government  in  its  efforts  to  maintain  the 
Constitution.  To  that  Government  he  now  appeals  ; 
that  Constitution  he  now  invokes  for  protection 
against  unjust  prejudices  founded  upon  caste." 

William  Wells  Brown,  Esq.,  was  born  of 
sla\Le  parents;  he  escaped  to  the  North  and  so  im- 
proved his  time  from  then  on,  until  he  is  now  known 
to  the  world  as  M.D. ;  historian  of  the  Negro  race, 
lecturer  and  author. 

Rev.  D.  A.  Payne,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  is  the  oldest 
bishop  of  the  A.  M.  E.  Church,  also  its  true,  tried 
friend  He  is  a  great  educator,  and  has  the  Negro's 
best  interests  at  heart;  many  generous  and  noble 
deeds  has  he  done  for  his  race ;  he  is  the  scholar 
and  reverenced  father  of  the  A.  M.  E.  Church. 

Rev.  William  T.  Dixon,  the  pastor  of  Concord 
Baptist  Church,  greatly  deserves  notice.  Rev.  Dixon 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA. 


173 


Bishop  D,  A.  Payne. 


174  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

has  been  a  great  power  in  his  church,  and  has  been 
the  means  of  exerting  an  excellent  intellectual  and 
moral  influence  upon  his  people  at  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 
His  efforts  for  the  conversion  of  the  souls  of  his 
fellow-men  are  untiring,  patient,  and  full  of  sacrifice. 
Many  faces  brighten  and  hearts  ring  with  joy  when 
his  name  is  called. 

Bishop  H.  M.  Turner,  D.D.,  is  well  known 
throughout  the  United  States ;  he  stands  as  a  model 
for  the  poor  boy  to-day  with  scanty  means.  His  early 
efforts  for  an  education  were  accompanied  with  many 
disappointments  and  failures.  Though  free,  he  had 
to  submit  to  the  law,  "  no  Negro  must  be  educated." 
However,  he  got  a  start  and  added  to  his  small 
stock  until  he  could  read  the  Bible  and  hymn-book. 
It  is  said  that  he  learned  fifty  psalms  in  a  night,  and 
while  plowing  repeated  them  to  his  co-laborers.  He 
was  hired  out  most  of  the  time  by  his  father ;  his 
work  was  always  with  hard  and  often  cruel  over- 
seers ;  but  he  said,  and  kept  his  word,  when  a  boy, 
no  white  man  should  whip  and  scar  his  back.  When 
about  fifteen  years  of  age  he  was  employed  as 
waiting-boy  in  a  law  office,  where  he  attracted  special 
notice  by  his  tenacious  memory  and  accuracy  in  de- 
livering messages;  the  lawyers  took  an  interest  in 
him  and  taught  him  whatever  he  wanted  to  learn. 
From  this  he  moved  on,  from  one  level  to  the  next 
higher — being  a  hard  student  all  the  way  up  to  the 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA. 


present.  He  now  is  known  as  bishop,  philosopher, 
politician,  author,  devoted  race-man,  and  ex-United 
States  Chaplain. 

Hon.  P.  B.  S.  Pinchback  has  the  honor  of  hav- 
ing held  more  positions  than  any  other  colored  man. 
He  was  a  true  and  faithful  soldier  during  the  civil 
war.  At  the  time  of  the  impeachment  of  Governor 
Warmouth,  of  Louisiana,  he  became  acting  Governor 
of  that  State,  finally  becoming  the  real  Governor 
until  the  term  expired. 

Prof.  Richard  Theodore  Greener  stands  with 
the  first  scholars  of  the  Negro  race.  His  essays  and 
orations  rank  high  in  the  fields  of  literature  and 
oratory.  He  has  held  the  position  of  Chief  Civil 
Service  Examiner  of  New  York  City,  lawyer,  prize 
essayist,  orator,  and  Dean  o  the  Law  Department 
of  Howard  University. 

Senator  B.  K.  Bruce,  another  son  of  the  Ne« 
gro  race,  though  not  receiving  his  privilege  as  a  man 
until  1 865,  and  notwithstanding  then  having  attained 
to  the  age  of  24,  smothered  no  longer  the  intellec- 
tual fires  then  burning  in  his  soul.  Though  a  Vir- 
ginian, he  entered  into  public  life  in  Mississippi. 
Much  useful  knowledge  he  gathered  while  sergeant- 
at-arms  of  the  State  Senate  of  Mississippi,  which 
helped  him  to  admirably  fill  his  place  as  U.  S.  Sen- 
ator. It  was,  also,  his  honor  to  hold  the  position 
of  Register  of  the  tLS,  Treasury. 


)76 


A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 


B.  K.  Bruce. 


Prof.  W.  S.  Scarborough  is  the  author  of  a  set 
of  Greek  text-books,  which  have  been  adopted  at 
Yale ;  he  is  also  versed  in  many  of  the  modern  and 
ancient  languages,  including  Gothic,  Zend,  Old  Sla- 
vonic, Lithuanian,  and  Sanscrit.  In  every  respect 
he  is  a  representative  man ;  having  come  up  from 
poverty  and  obscurity  to  his  present  high  position 


NEGRO  RA  CE  JN  AMERICA.  177 

m  life.  He  was  born  in  Macon,  Ga.  When  the  war 
closed  he,  like  many  other  colored  boys,  entered 
the  "Yankee  school"  there,  from  which  he  subse- 
quently attended  Atlanta  University  ;  from  there  he 
Went  to  Oberlin,  Ohio,  where  he  graduated  in  1875. 
He  taught  school  in  the  vacation  months  to  support 
himself  while  in  school.  Well  may  we  say  he  is  a 
self-made. man,  if  unflagging  industry,  self-reliance, 
and  an  indomitable  determination  to  succeed  may 
be  counted  as  ingredients  in  the  make-up  of  such 
characters.  He  is  now  teacher  of  classics  in  Wil- 
berforce  University,  which  position  he  holds  in  pref- 
erence to  many  others  his  scholarly  abilities  fit  him 
for,  and  which  he  might  attain.  He  is  recognized 
as  a  thorough  scholar  by  the  world  of  learned  men, 
and  stands  out  as  an  unchallenged  vindication  of  the 
race's  ability. 

Prof.  B.  T.  Washington  is  what  we  so  often 
hear  of,  a  self-made  man.  Being  left  quite  young 
an  orphan,  to  forge  his  own  way  through  the  world, 
he  started  out  determined  to  get  an  education.  With 
the  assistance  of  friends  he  reached  Hampton  In- 
stitute with  fifty  cents  in  his  pocket.  He  finished 
the  course  by  working  out  his  expenses  as  janitor. 
After  graduating  at  Hampton,  he  taught  a  while  at 
Maiden,  Va.,  then  his  home,  and  then  took  a  course 
of  study  at  Wayland  Seminary.  He  taught  two 
years  at  Hampton  Institute,  and  then  accepted  the 

12 


178  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

position  of  Principal  of  the  Tuskegee  Normal  School, 
which  he  has  held  with  a  remarkable  degree  of  suc- 
cess and  honor  to  himself  and  his  race.  The  school 
is  now  in  a  flourishing  condition,  and  doing  much 
good  throughout  the  State  of  Alabama,  and  even 
in  other  States. 

Prof.  E.  E.  Smith,  a  native  North  Carolinian, 
and  a  young  man  of  the  post-bellum  school,  has 
quickly  risen  to  fame  by  an  appointment  under 
President  Cleveland  as  Minister  of  the  U.  S.  Gov- 
erment  to  the  Republic  of  Liberia.  Mr.  Smith  served 
in  this  position  for  four  years  with  honor  and  credit  to 
himself  and  his  country.  Prior  to  his  appointment  as 
Minister  to  Liberia,  he  was  the  worthy  Principal  of 
the  Fayetteville,  N.  C.,  Normal  School.  He  is  a  grad- 
uate of  the  famous  Shaw  University,  and  destined 
to  reflect  still  greater  honors  on  this  his  Alma  Mater. 

Rev.  J.  C.  Price,  D.D.,  the  wdl-known  temper- 
ance orator,  lives  in  the  hearts  of  many  people.  His 
clear  and  distinct  voice,  fascinating  manner  and  ex- 
cellent ability  to  handle  a  story,  gives  him  a  hearty 
welcome  in  every  place  to  which  he  goes.  He  was 
the  first  colored  preacher  to  stand  in  the  pulpit  of 
Henry  Ward  Beecher,  and  now  with  the  sympathy 
and  love  of  a  parent  for  his  pupils,  he  with  honor 
holds  the  position  of  President  of  Livingston  Col- 
lege, North  Carolina.  He  is  a  native  of  North 
Carolina. 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA. 


179 


C.  Price. 


EDMONIA   LEWIS. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch,  by  the  diligent  use  of 
the  powers  God  gave  her,  has  done  much  to  de- 
monstrate to  the  world  what  genius  exists  in  the  race 
she  represents.  Left  art  orphan  in  early  life,  she 
was  not  educated  according  to  her  'desire,  but  was 


180  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

conscious  of  a  power  and  a  burning  zeal  to  make 
herself  felt  in  the  world. 

Her  first  visit  to  Boston  proved  the  turning  point 
in  her  life.  When  she  for  the  first  time  saw  the 
statue  of  Franklin  her  soul  was  touched.  While 
the  dull  stone  seemed  cold  to  others,  there  was  a 
chord  in  her  young  soul  which  the  cold  lineaments 
played  upon,  and  she  exclaimed  exultingly,  "  I  can 
make  a  stone  man."  Wm.  Lloyd  Garrison,  always 
ready  to  help  the  race,  introduced  her  to  a  leading 
Boston  sculptor.  He  gave  her  some  clay  and  a 
model  of  a  human  foot,  saying,  "  Go  home  and  make 
that ;  if  there  is  anything  in  you  it  will  come  out." 
Her  first  effort  was  brought  back  to  the  teacher, 
who  examined  it,  then  broke  it  to  pieces,  telling  her 
to  try  again.  She  did  so,  and  succeeded.  Her 
achievements  since  have  placed  her  among  the 
prominent  artists  of  the  world.  She  now  resides  at 
Rome,  where  her  studio  is  the  famed  resort  of  art- 
lovers  the  world  over.  Some  of  her  works  are, 
busts  of  Charles  Sumner,  Lincoln,  Hiawatha's  Woo- 
ing, Forever  Free,  Hagar  in  the  Wilderness,  Ma- 
donna with  Infant  Christ,  and  two  Adoring  Angels. 
She  was  patronized  by  the  leading  Englishmen,  such 
as  D'Israeli,  and  others. 

T.  T.  Fortune,  Esq.,  the  well-known  and  fear- 
less editor/ was  also  a  slave,  born  of  slave  parents, 
in  Florida.  He  is  a  deep  thinker,  and  an  enthusiastic 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA.  181 

and  true  worker  for  his  race.  A  great  agitator  and 
denouncer  of  the  wrong  and  encourager  of  the  right ; 
also  an  author  and  pamphleteer, 

Rev.  W.  J.  Simmons,  A.M.,  D.D.,  was,  be- 
yond question,  one  of  the  strongest  characters  of 
the  race.  He  was  the  President  of  the  Normal  and 
Theological  Institute  at  Louisville,  Ky.  At  one  time 
he  was  editor  of  the  American  Baptist,  and  did  a 
telling  work  in  that  position  by  his  strong  editorials 
and  telling  points  in  behalf  of  the  interests  of  the 
race.  But  Rev.  Simmons  is  better  known  as  an 
educator.  He  took. charge  of  the  Institute  at  Louis- 
ville when  nothing  but  failure  seemed  to  stare  it  in 
the  face ;  and  from  an  appearance  of  hopeless  ruin 
he  has  worked  it  up  to  a  point  of  great  excellency. 
It  now  stands  as  one  of  the  most  important  factors 
of  Negro  education  in  the  South,  and  its  success  is 
due  to  the  indomitable  energy,  force,  and  brain  of 
Dr.  Simmons.  He  has  also  furnished  the  literature 
of  the  race  with  a  valuable  work  known  as  "  Men 
of  Mark."  In  it  you  will  be  pleased  to  read  elegant 
sketches  of  many  of  the  race's  best  men. 

The  Hon  H.  P.  Cheatham  is  a  son  of  Shaw 
University,  and  a  young  man  whose  success  is  due 
to  emancipation.  He  is  now  one  of  the  colored 
members  of  our  National  Congress,  having  won  his 
seat  through  a  most  desperate  contest  for  the  Second 
District  of  North  Carolina.  His  record  in  Congress 


182 


A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 


is  good;  not  so  much  known,  however,  for  his  "  much 
speaking,"  as  for  the  devotion  he  shows  to  the  in- 
terests of  his  race.  Mr.  Cheatham  came  up  from 
the  ranks  of  the  school  teachers,  leaving  off  that 
work  to  take  a  position  as  Register  of  Deeds  in  his 
(Vance)  county,  which  position  he  held  creditably 
for  a  number  of  years,  and  which  he  resigned  to 
run  for  Congress  in  1888. 


John  R.  Lynch. 


Hon.  John  R.  Lynch  is  another  son  of  whom  we 
may  be  proud.  He  hid  not  his  talents,  but  rather 
multiplied  them.  It  was  his  honor  to  preside  at  the 
National  Republican  Convention  in  1884,  at  Chicago. 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA.  183 

We  know  him  as  orator,  lawyer,  Congressman  and 
prominent  politician. 

Among  the  Noted  Singers  should  be  mentioned 
Madame  Selika,  "  the  colored  Jenny  Lind."  Her 
voice  is,  perhaps,  sweeter  than  the  renowned  Jenny 
Lind  (white),  and  capable  of  greater  variation  in 
length  and  pitch.  Madame  Selika  stands  as  a 
prodigy  among  singers.  She  would  stand  near  the 
head  of  modern  female  voices  were  it  not  that  she 
is  colored. 

Mrs.  Frances  Ellen  Harper,  a  native  of  Bal- 
timore, Maryland,  was  denied  the  opportunities  of 
an  education  in  her  early  days,  but  as  soon  as  the 
way  was  opened  she  applied  herself  with  such  en- 
ergy and  earnestness  as  to  develop  her  rare  intel- 
lectual abilities,  and  put  her  before  the  world  as  a 
grand,  good  woman.  She  is  known  as  an  enter- 
taining lecturer  and  pleasing  essayist. 

Miss  Flora  Batson  Bergen  is  another  repre- 
sentative of  the  art  of  song.  The  wonder  is  thai 
she  renders  the  most  difficult  classical  music  from, 
memory,  being  unable  to  read  notes.  She  is  an 
undoubted  genius. 

Miss  H.  Q.  Brown  stands  high  as  an  elocu- 
tionist, and  reader  of  wonderful  force  and  descrip- 
tive powers.  Her  work  compare*  favorably  with 
any  of  the  kind  in  America,  and  her  reputation  is 
national. 


IS4 


A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 


Miss  Ednorah  Nahar,  of  Boston,  Mass.,  has 
achieved  wonderful  results  as  a  reader  and  elocu- 
tionist. She  is  yet  young  in  the  work,  but  has  read 
in  nearly  all  of  the  leading  cities  in  America  and 
Canada,  and  received  the  highest  encomiums  from 
the  best  dramatical  critics  in  both  countries,  one  of 
whom  says ;  "  Her  art  is  no  art,  but  Nature  itself.1' 


Blind  Tom. 


"Blind  Tom,"  the  Negro  Musical  Prodigy, 
is  known  as  well  in  Europe  as  America.  His  cor- 
rect name  is  Thomas  Bethune.  He  was  born  May 


NEGRO  RACE  L\  A  M  ERIC  A .  185 


25,  1849,  at  Columbus,  Georgia.  When  a  babe  he 
seemed  totally  blind,  but  in  later  years  he  could  see 
a  little.  His  memory  of  dates,  persons  and  places 
seems  almost  perfect.  Shake  his  hand  to-day  and 
speak  to  him,  tell  your  name,  and  ten  years  after  he 
will  recall  your  voice  and  name.  He  is  uniformly 
and  studiously  polite,  and  entertains  the  highest  re- 
gard for  truth  in  all  things.  At  four  years  of  age 
he  found  his  way  to  his  master's  piano  for  the  first 
time.  He  had  attempted  to  use  his  voice  in  imitat- 
ing the  piano  and  other  sounds  before  this.  He 
imitated  all  the  sounds  he  knew  on  the  piano,  and 
when  his  supply  was  exhausted  he  began  to  com- 
pose for  himself.  He  would  play,  as  he  would  re- 
mark, "  what  the  wind  said"  or  the  "  birds  said"  or 
the  'trees  said"  When  five  years  old,  during  a 
thunder-storm,  he  composed  his  "  Rain  Storm" 
which  is  so  true  to  Nature  that  one  imagines  on 
hearing  it  that  he  can  hear  the  thunder  roar,  and 
"  looks  for  the  lightning  to  flash."  One  author  says 
of  him :  "I  can't  teach  him  anything;  he  knows 
more  of  music  than  we  know  or  can  know.  We 
can  learn  all  that  great  genius  can  reduce  to  rule 
and  put  in  tangible  form  ;  he  knows  more  than  that. 
I  do  not  even  know  what  it  is ;  but  I  feel  it  is  some- 
thing beyond  my  comprehension.  All  that  can  be 
done  for  him  will  be  to  let  him  hear  fine  playing; 
he  will  work  it  all  out  for  himself  after  awhile." 


186  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

He  plays  the  most  difficult  classical  music  of 
Mendelssohn  and  Beethoven,  and  cannot  read  a 
note.  His  marches  include  "  Delta  Kappa  Epsilon," 
by  Peace;  "Grand  March  de  Concert,"  by  Wallace. 
He  imitates  as  perfectly  as  if  natural,  "  Battle  of 
Manassas,"  "  Douglass'  Speech,"  guitar,  banjo, 
church  organ,  Dutch  woman  and  hand-organ,  a 
harp,  Scotch  bagpipe,  and  a  music-box — all  on  the 
piano.  His  equal,  if  it  ever  existed  in  the  world, 
has  not  been  known.  He  stands  out  as  a  phenom- 
enon, a  genius,  a  prodigy  in  black.  He  still  lives, 
and  is  constantly  improving  and  adding  to  his  large 
stock  of  musical  achievements. 

Toussaint  L'Ouverture. — It  is  supposed  that 
LOuverture  was  born  in  1743,  in  San  Domingo,  on 
"  All  Saints'  Day,"  from  which  he  was  named  Tous- 
saint. The  name  L'Ouverture  was  given  him  after 
he  had  won  a  high  place  in  the  army  by  many  bril- 
liant conquests.  He  was  born  a  slave,  and  said  to 
be  a  direct  descendant  of  an  African  kinof.  He  was 

o 

educated  by  his  god-father,  Pierre  Baptiste.  Later 
he  had  an  interesting  family,  and  was  as  happy  as  a 
slave  could  be.  He  believed  himself  destined  to 
lead  his  race  out  of  bondage.  Having  access  to  his 
master's  library,  he  read  much ;  and  it  is  recorded 
that  he  always  mastered  whatever  work  he  under- 
took to  study!  It  is  generally  conceded  by  his  ene- 
mies that  he  was  honest,  honorable,  and  just.  On 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA. 


187 


the  night  of  August  21,  1791,  the  revolution  which 
was  destined  to  free  the  blacks  of  Hayti  began.  It 
was,  really,  the  culmination  of  a  series  of  political 


Toussaint  L'Ouverture. 
"  Soldier— Statesman— Martyr."—  Wendell  Phillips. 

struggles  which  had  been  waged  with  fury  between 
the  government  of  France,  the  white  planters,  ano 
the  mulattoes  who  thought  that  they  were  entitled  tti 


188  A  SCHOOL  HISTOKYOF  THE 

equal  political  privileges  with  the  whites.  This  point 
was  bitterly  contested  by  the  wliites  of  the  colony, 
until  the  mulattoes  succeeded  in  inciting  the  blacks 
to  murder  and  pillage.  Toussaint  took  no  part  in 
the  murderous  proceedings  of  this  night,  and  did 
not  leave  the  plantation  until  he  had  safely  provided 
for  all  the"  whites  thereon,  whom  he  afterwards  had 
conveyed  to  Baltimore.  He  was  always  opposed  to 
a  general  massacre  of  the  whites,  and  throughout 
his  career,  as  a  commander,  exerted  his  influence 
to  preserve  their  lives.  Upon  entering  military  life 
his  promotion  was  rapid,  as  he  possessed  all  the 
requisites  of  a  great  commander  and  leader.  Hav- 
ing risen  to  a  generalship,  because  of  his  many  suc- 
cesses, France  acknowledged  his  rank  and  tendered 
to  him  a  commission  as  Commander-in-chief  of  the 
armies  of  San  Domingo,  in  1797.  There  followed 
three  years  of  unparalleled  prosperity,  during  which 
time  L'Ouverture's  ability  as  a  statesman  and  ruler 
was  shown  to  great  advantage.  Napoleon,  how- 
ever, became  jealous  of  L'Ouverture's  power,  and  the 
old. troubles  in  Hayti  being  renewed,  they  declared 
their  independence  in  1801.  Napoleon  sent  large 
armies  to  the  island,  but  they  all  failed  to  conquer 
the  brave  band  of  blacks  under  their  indomitable 
leader,  Toussaint.  Finally,  they  resorted  to  strata- 
gem. They  pretended  to  make  peace,  after  which 
Toussaint  was  invited  on  one  occasion  to  dine  on 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA.  189 

board  a  French  man-of-war,  and  there  he  was  cap- 
tured, sent  to  France,  confined  in  a  dark,  damp  dun- 
geon, and  allowed  to  die  of  hunger.  He  died  in 
1803,  heroically  proclaiming  that  though  the  French 
might  murder  him,  the  tree  of  liberty  would  still 
grow  in  San  Domingo ;  how  unlike  Napoleon,  the 
author  of  Toussaint's  torture,  who  ended  his  exist- 
ence in  writing  and  fretting  on  the  island  of  St. 
Helena,  in  similar  confinement,  a  just  retribution,  it 
seems,  in  atonement  for  the  wrong  he  had  done 
L'Ouverture ! 

"  His  life  lay  in  thought  and  in  action  rather  than 
in  words.  Self-contained,  he  was  also  self-sufficing. 
Though  he  disdained  not  the  advice  of  others,  he 
was,  in  the  main,  his  own  council-board.  With  an 
intense  concentration  of  vitality  in  his  own  soul,  he 
threw  into  his  outer  life  a  power  and  an  energy 
which  armed  one  man  with  the  power  of  thousands, 
and  made  him  great  alike  in  command  of  others 
and  in  command  of  himself.  He  was  created  for 
government  by  the. hand  of  nature.  That  strength 
of  soul  and  self  reliance  which  made  him  fit  to  rule, 
also  gave  him  subjects  for  his  sway.  Hence  it  was, 
that  he  could  not  remain  in  the  herd  of  his  fellow- 
slaves.  Rise  he  must,  and  rise  he  did;  first  to 
humble  offices,  then  to  the  command  of  a  regiment, 
and  then  to  the  command  of  the  armies  of  San  Do- 
mingo.' 


,190  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

THE  FREE  PEOPLE  OF  COLOR  IN  NORTH 
CAROLINA. 

BY    THE    HON.    JOHN    S.    LEARY. 

IN  the  Revolutionary  War  there  were  enlisted  as 
soldiers  in  the  American  army  quite  a  number  of 
colored  men  who  served  faithfully  and  fought  gal- 
lantly for  the  cause  of  American  Independence. 
Among  others  who  enlisted  from  North  Carolina, 
were  Louie  Revels,  John  Lomax,  Thomas  Bell, 
Charles  Hood  and  John  Pettiford.  All  of  these  sur- 
viving the  contest  drew,  as  long  as  they  lived,  a 
pension  from  the  United  States  Government.  When 
the  Congress  of  freemen  {freeholders}  assembled  at 
Halifax,  and  on  the  i8th  day  of  December,  1776, 
ratified  a  Constitution  for  North  Carolina,  the  elec- 
tive franchise  was  extended  to  every  freeman  resid- 
ing in  the  State  who  was  twenty-one  years  of  age 
and  had  paid  a  public  tax.  Under  the  provisions  of 
this  Constitution  all  free  colored  persons  living  in 
North  Carolina  who  were  twenty-one  years  of  age 
and  had  paid  a  public  tax,  claimed  and  exercised  the; 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA.  191 

right  to  vote  until  the  year  1835,  a  period  of  more 
than  a  half  century,  when  the  Convention  which 
assembled  that  year,  acting  on  the  principle  that 
might  makes  right,  adopted  an  amended  Constitu- 
tion which  barred  them  of  that  right.  Having  been 
barred  of  the  right  to  vote  by  the  provisions  of  the 
Constitution  of  1835,  in  the  year  1838  the  question 
as  to  whether  they  were  or  were  not  citizens  coming 
before  the  State  Supreme  Court,  the  following  ex- 
tract from  the  opinion  of  the  Court,  delivered  by 
Gaston,  Judge,  will  show  that  the  Court  decided 
that  they  were  citizens : 

"  Whatever  distinctions  may  have  existed  in  the 
Roman  law  between  citizens  and  free  inhabitants, 
they  are  unknown  to  our  institutions.  Before  our 
Revolution,  all  free  persons  born  within  the  domin- 
ion of  the  King  of  Great  Britain,  whatever  their 
color  or  complexion,  were  native-born  British  sub- 
jects— those  born  out  of  his  allegiance  were  aliens. 
Slavery  did  not  exist  in  England,  but  it  did  exist  in 
the  British  Colonies.  Slaves  were  not,  in  legal  par- 
lance, persons,  but  property.  The  moment  the  in- 
capacity— or  disqualification — of  slavery  was  re- 
moved, they  became  persons,  and  were  then  either 
British  subjects  or  not  British  subjects  according  as 
they  were  or  were  not  born  within  the  allegiance  of 
the  British  King.  Upon  the  close  of  the  Revolution, 
no  other  change  took  place  in  the  law  of  North 


192  A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Carolina  than  was  consequent  upon  the  transition 
from  a  colony  dependent  on  a  European  king  to  a 
free  and  sovereign  State.  Slaves  remained  slaves. 
British  subjects  in  North  Carolina  became  North 
Carolina  freemen.  Foreigners,  until  made  citizens 
of  the  State,  continued  aliens.  Slaves  manumitted 
here  became  freemen — and,  therefore,  if  born  within 
North  Carolina,  are  citizens  of  North  Carolina — 
and  all  free  persons  born  within  the  State  are  born 
citizens  of  the  State." 

However,  under  the  provisions  of  the  amended 
Constitution,  and  the  laws  enacted  subsequent  to 
its  ratification  by  the  Legislature,  there  existed  in 
North  Carolina,  prior  to  the  year  1865,  three  dis- 
tinct classes  of  people :  The  free  white  man,  enjoy- 
ing and  exercising  all  the  rights  and  privileges  of 
an  American  citizen  ;  the  free  colored  man,  deprived 
of  nearly  all  the  rights  and  privileges  of  an  Amer- 
ican citizen  ;  and,  the  colored  slave,  who,  in  legal 
parlance,  was  a  mere  chattel.  Owing  to  this  anoma- 
lous state  of  affairs,  whatever  was  accomplished 
by  the  genius,  industry,  effort,  culture,  and  literary 
attainments  of  the  colored  American  residing  in  the 
State,  was  studiously  ignored  and  cast  aside  as  not 
worthy  to  be  recorded  as  a  part  and  parcel  of  the 
history  of  the  people  of  the  State. 

To  preserve  the  memory,  as  well  as  to    perpet- 
uate the  work  and  worth  of  a  very  eminent  colored 


NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA. 


citizen  of  North  Carolina,  I  here  present  for  the  in- 
formation of  the  youths,  and  all  other  persons  who 
do  not  know  anything  of  the  history  of  his  life,  a 
biographical  narrative  of  the  Rev.  John  Ghavers. 
This  gentleman,  a  regularly  ordained  minister  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  came  to  the  United  States  in 
the  year  1822.  He  settled  in  North  Carolina,  and 
after  remaining  here  for  the  period  of  time  required 
by  law,  was  naturalized  and  became  a  citizen  of  the 
State  and  United  States.  In  culture  and  literary 
attainments  he  far  excelled  a  majority  of  all  classes 
of  the  people  living  in  the  State  at  that  day  and 
date.  A  Christian  gentleman,  possessing  all  the 
qualities  which  go  to  make  a  true  and  noble  man, 
he  was  honored  for  his  eminent  ability,  and  respected 
for  hib  Christian  character.  He  lived  in  the  town 
of  Fayetteville  for  a  period  of  two  years,  preached 
and  taught  school.  He  removed  from  Fayetteville, 
and  afterwards  lived  respectively  in  the  counties 
of  Franklin,  Wake,  and  Chatham,  in  each  of  which 
he  preached  and  taught  school.  The  school  organ- 
ized and  taught  by  him  in  Chatham  County  was 
patronized  almost  exclusively  by  the  white  people. 
In  the  light  of  present  surroundings,  it  may  seem 
strange  and  incredulous  that  the  white  people  of 
North  Carolina  would  send  their  children  to  a  col- 
ored school  teacher,  and  consent  to  have  their  lives 
and  characters  shaped  and  moulded  by  him.  bu4 

13 


A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE 


this  is  accounted  for  in  the  fact  that  the  recorded 
history  of  those  times  goes  to  show  that  classical 
scholars  and  thoroughly  equipped  school  teachers 
were  not  near  so  plentiful  among  the  white  people 
then  as  they  are  now,  and  they  were  not  so  very 
particular  as  to  the  color  of  the  "  Gamaliel  "  at 
whose  feet  their  children  should  sit,  provided  he 
had  the  ability  and  learning  to  impart  the  desired 
information.  As  evidence  of  this  gentleman's  emi- 
nence as  an  instructor,  and  the  influence  which  his 
precept  and  example  had  upon  the  lives  and  char- 
acter of  his  pupils,  I  mention  the  names  of  a  few 
who  were  so  fortunate  as  to  enjoy  the  benefit  of  his 
instruction  and  careful  training.  The  late  Honor- 
able Kenneth  Rayner,  one  of  his  pupils,  was  well 
known  to  the  people  of  North  Carolina  as  an  emi- 
nent lawyer,  and,  before  the  civil  war,  as  a  repre- 
sentative from  North  Carolina  in  the  United  States 
Congress,  and  after  said  war  was  the  able  and  effi- 
cient Solicitor-General  of  the  United  States  Treasury 
under  President  Arthur's  administration.  Mr.  Thos. 
J.  Curtis,  a  successful  business  man,  and  for  several 
years  Mayor  of  the  town  of  Fayetteville,  was  an- 
other ;  and  yet  another  was  the  late  Honorable 
Abram  Rencher,  of  Chatham  County,  who  was  one 
of  the  most  distinguished  men  the  State  has  ever 
produced.  There  were  a  great  many  others,  but 
it  is  not  necessary  to  mention  by  name  any  more. 


NEGRJ  RACE  IN  AMERICA. 


195 


These  are  enough  to  show  that  if  justice  had  been 
done,  this  illustrious  colored  gentleman  would  have 
had  a  place  in  the  recorded  history  of  the  State 
of  his  adoption  as  one  of  her  earliest,  most  suc- 
cessful educators  and  eminent  men. 


196     A  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE  NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA. 


CHAPTER   XXXV. 

CONCLUSION. 

UP  to  the  present  time  the  Negro  has  been  a 
success  in  every  avenue  of  life.  As  a  soldier  and 
citizen  he  has  always  been  faithful  to  his  coun- 
try's flag ;  as  a  politician,  he  has  filled  successfully 
many  honorable  positions,  from  that  of  a  Town  Con- 
stable to  the  Registry  of  the  Treasury  of  the  "United 
States;  he  has  been  a  legislator,  a  senator,  a  judge, 
a  lawyer,  a  juror,  a  shrewd  business  man,  and  won 
honor,  respect,  and  confidence  in  every  such  posi- 
tion, and  all  this  in  twenty-five  years.  Every  sort 
of  hindrance  has  been  thrown  in  his  way,  but  he 
is  overcoming  them  all,  and  daily  winning  friends 
from  the  ranks  of  those  most  opposed  to  his  prog- 
ress. Time  is  yet  to  bring  forth  better  things  for 
the  race.  Let  there  be  patience,  and  an  honest, 
persistent  endeavor  to  do  the  very  best  in  every- 
thing, and  ere  long  we  shall  "reap  if  we  faint  not." 
We  shall  rise,  not  by  dragging  others  down,  but  by 
encouraging  those  who  are  up  to  extend  down  to 
us  the  helping  hand,  which  we  must  quickly  grasp, 
and  by  its  help  lift  ourselves  up. 


INDEX. 


ABOLITIONISM,  growth  of,  80,  81 
Abolitionists,  opposition  to  Northern,  99 

work  of  the,  80,  81 
African  cities,  ancient,  11, 15 
Africans,  native,  present  condition  of,  11 

racial  traits  of,  11, 18 
Africa- American  Presbyterian,  154 
Allen,  Rev.  Richard,  149 
Almanac,  Banneka's,  36 
Amendment,  Constitutional,  thirteenth, 

138 

fifteenth,  139 
A.  M.  E.  Review,  149 
Amistad  Captives,  the,  95 
Anti-slavery  agitation,  98-110 
books,  83 
conventions,  82 
"  Anti-slavery  Free  Women  of  America," 

82 

Armistead,  James,  71 
Army,  colonial,  slaves  in  the,  57,  58 
compensation  for,  61 

(See  SOLDIERS,  TROOPS.) 
Ashmun,  Jehudi,  88 
Association,  Missionary,  American,  154 
Asylum,  Colored  Orphans',  burning  of, 

Attucks,  Crispus,  patriotism  of,  63-6» 

BALTIMORE.  J.  D.  (inventor),  164 

Bank,  Freedmen's  Savings,  162 

Banks,  Genl..  on  the  conduct  of  Negro 

.  troops,  113 

Banneka,  Benjamin,  attainments  of,  35-38 
death  of,  38 
Jefferson's  letter  to,  37 
Robert,  35 
Baptist  Tribune,  150 
Baptists,  colored,  extent  of,  151 

prominent,  151 
Battle  of  Bull  Hun,  103 
of  Bunker's  Hill,  incident  of,  69 
Negro  heroism  at,  66 
Peter  Salem  at.  66 

of  Milliken'sBend,  Negro  troops  at,  113 
of  New  Orleans,  cotton  breastworks  at 

the,  76 

of  Petersburg,  Negro  troops  at,  122-129 
of  Port  Hudson,  Negro  troops  at,  110-113 
of  the  Wilderness,  Negro  troops  at,  120 
Bersen,  Miss  Flora  Batson  (singer),  183 
Bethune,  Thomas  ("Blind  Tom7'),  183-186 
Bill,  Civil  Rights,  139,170 
"  Black  Brigade,"  Kinks',  122 


Black,  John  (inventor),  164 

"  Black  Phalanx,"  156 

"  Blind  Tom,"  184-186 

Brawley,  Rev.  E.  M.,  149 

Brown,  Miss  H.  Q.  (elocutionist),  183 

John,  insurrection  of,  99 

William  Wells,  172 
Bruce,  Senator  B.  K.,  175 
Bunker  Hill,  incident  of  battle,  69 
Bureau,  Freedmen's,  design  of,  139, 140 
Barnside,  Genl.,  at  Petersburg,  126-128 
Butler,  B.  F.,  opposition  to  Negro  eulis* 
rnent,  105 


CALLIOUX,  Capt.  Andre,  111 
Canaanites.  the,  10,  14,  15 
Carey,  Lott,  88 

Carney,  Sergeant,  heroism  of,  117 
Charlton,  Samuel,  bravery  of,  71 
Chauncey,  Com.,  retort  to  Capt.  Perry,  77 
Cbavers,  Rev.  John,  193 
Cheatham,  Hon.  H  P.,  181 
Children,  school,  colored,  number  of,  160 
Christian  Recorder,  149 
Church,  A  M.  E.,  influence  of,  149 
Zion,  152 

Baptist,  founded,  15ft 
influence  of  the,  151 

Methodist,  152 

Presbyterian,  154 
Churches,  colored,  property  owned  by, 163 

Southern,  Northern  support  of,  152 
Cinquez.  Joseph,  95 
Cities,  ancient  African,  11,  15 
Civil  Rights  Bill,  139 
"  Cockade  City,"  122 
College,  Bennett,  152, 158 

Livingston,  152,  1'.8 

Morris  Brown,  148 

Colonies,  slavery  in  the,  beginning  of,  17 
dates  of  introduction,  ..5 

Southern  habits  and  customs  of,  53 
Colonists,  Southern,  habits  and  customs, 

5S 

Colored  schools  in  the  South    157-160 
Constitution,  Freemen's,  in  North  Caro- 
lina, 190,  191 
Convention,  Anti-Slavery,  National,  82 

of  friie  colored  people,  82 
Cotton  plantations,  Georgia,  47 
Crandall, Prudence,  Negro  school  of,  31-33 
Crater,  the.  at  Petersburg,  126-128 
Curtis.  Thomas  J.,  191 

(197) 


198 


INDEX. 


DABNEY'S  CLOTHES-LINE  telegraph,  131- 

134 
Davis,  Jefferson,  capture  of,  136  n 

John,  bravery  of,  77 
Debnam,  Prof.'W.  F.,  157 
Deeds  of  daring,  Negro,  66-70,  131-134 
Disfranchisement  of  the  Southern  Negro, 

138 

Dismal  Swamp  slave  property  in.  94 
Dixon,  Rev.  William  T.,  172 
Dodge,  Caleb,  slave  test-suit  of,  26 
Douglass,  Frederick,  biography  of,  84-87 

writings  of,  83 
Dred  Scott  Decision,  99  n 
Dunmore,  Lord,  enlistment  of  Negroes  by, 

Dunn's  house,  Negro  corps  at,  123, 124 

EDUCATION,  Negro,  in  the  South,  156-161 

self-help  in,  of  Southern  Negroes,  158 
Elliott,  Robert  B.  (orator),  169 
Emancipation  for  military  service,  61 

in  Virginia,  72 

of  New  England  slaves,  26,  27 

Proclamations,  107 
Enlistment  (see  SOLDIERS,  TROOPS). 
Explosion,  mine,  at  Petersburg,  126 

FAMILIES,  Southern,  habits  and  customs, 

53.54 

Fisk  Jubilee  Singers,  161 
Fort,  Blount's,  refugees  in,  48,  49,  50 

Griswold,  incident  at,  71 

Groton,  incident  at.  70 

Pillow,  Negro  troops  at,  118 

Sumter,  capture  of,  103 

Wagner,  Negro  troops  at,  115 
Forten,  James,  81 

Miss  Sarah  (poetess),  82 
Fortune,  T.  T.  (editor),  180 
Franchise,  elective  (1776),  in  N.  C.,  190 

(1835).  in  N.  C.,  191 
Freedmen's  Bureau,  design  of,  139, 140 

Savings  Bank,  162 
Freedom,  Negro,  efforts  for,  80-97 
Freeman,  John,  heroism  of,  71 
Freemen,  colored,  elective  franchise  of, 

190 

Friends,  the,  opposition  to  slavery,  40 
Fugitive  slave  law.  99 
Fugitives  (see  SLAVES.) 
Fuller,  Thomas,  20 

GAINES,  W.  J.  (bishop),  147 
Garrison.  William  Lloyd,  81, 180 
Gaston,  Judge,  decision  of.  191 
Genim  of  Emancipation,  the,  80 
Government,    Provisional,   first,   at  the 

South, 138 

Grant,  Genl.,  at  Petersburg,  127, 128 
Greener,  Prof.  Richard  Theodore,  175 

HABITS  AND  CUSTOMS  of  Southern  colo- 
nists, 53 
Hall,  Primus,  incident  of,  67 


Hamilton,  Alexander,  letter  of,  68 
Hancock,  Richard  M.,  164 
Harper,  Mrs.  Frances  Ell3n,  183 
Harris,  Sarah,  32 
Heath,  Corporal,  bravery  of,  112 
Heroes,  Negro,  19 

of  1812,  77,78 

of  the  Rebellion,  111,  112, 131 

of  the  Revolution,  63-67 
Holbrook,  Felix,  petition  of,  27 
Horton,  George  M.  (poet),  41 
Howard,  Genl.  O.  O.,  140 
Hunter,  Genl.,  enlistment  of  Negroes  by, 
104 

INCIDENTS,  66-70, 131-134 
Institute,  Louisville,  181 

Normal  and  Industrial,  Kittrell's,  158 
Institutions,   Educational,  141,  154,  155, 

157 
Insurrection,  John  Brown's,  99 

Nat.  Turner's,  90-93 

JAMESTOWN,  Negroes  at,  first,  17, 19 
Jeffreys,   Major,  bravery  and  treatment 

of,  78 

"Jenny  Lind,"  colored,  183 
Johnson,  John,  bravery  of,  77 
Jones,  James  H.,  136 

Wiley,  164 

Journal  of  ike  Times,  81 
Jubilee  Singers,  Fisk,  161 

KOSCIUSKO'S  aid  for  the  education  of  col- 
ored children,  73 
Ku-klux  Klan,  139 

LABOR,  slave,  in  South  Carolina,  44 

La  Fayette,  Genl.,  anti-slavery  ideas  of, 
72,  73 

Langston,  Hon.  J.  Mercer,  167 

Latham,  L.,  bravery  and  death  of,  70,  71 

Laurens,  Col.,  death  of,  66 
enlistment  of  Negroes  by,  58,  61 

Law,  slave,  fugitive,  99 

Leak,  Rev.  R.  H.  W.,93 

Lee,  Genl.,  surrender  at  Appomattox,  130 

Lewis,  Edmonia  (artist),  179 

Liberator,  the,  81 

Liberia,  colonization  of,  88,  89 

Lincoln,  Abraham,  election  of,  100, 103 
proclamation  for  volunteers  of,  103 
Proclamations,  Emancipation,  107 
opposition  of,  to  colored  troops,  103,  106 
review  of  colored  troops  by.  119 

L'Ouverture,  Toussaint,  186 

Loomis.  Lieut.,  attack  and  capture  of 
Blount's  fort  by,  49-50 

Lundy,  Benjamin  (abolitionist),  80 

Lynch,  Hon.  John  R.,  182 

MAROONS,  the  Virginia,  94 

Massacre,  Boston,  Crispus  Attucks  at,  68k 

McClellan,  Genl.,  105 


INDEX. 


199 


Melodies,  Negro,  146, 161 
Milliken's  Bend,  negro  troops  at,  113 
Morgan,  C.  G.  (orator),  156 
Music,  Negro,  146 

originality  of,  161 
"  My  Bondage  and  My  Freedom,"  83 

NAHAK,  Miss  Ednorah,  184 
National  Reformer,  the,  83 
Navy,  Negroes  in  the,  of  1812,  76 
NEGRO,  the,  freed,  ostracization  of,  145 
eminent  progress  of,  196 
origin  of,  9,10 

writings  on,  quotations  from,  12 
i?egro  education  in  the  South,  156-161 
heroes,  19,  63-67,  77,  78,  111,  112,  131 
refugees,  Blount's  Fort,  48 

massacre  of,  51 
soldiers,  conduct  of,  109, 110 
employment  of,  109 
enlistment  of,  103-107 
opposition  to  the,  56 
first  regiment  of,  115 
in  Revolutionary  times,  56 
troops,  at  Petersburg,  122-129 

in  Virginia,  119, 120 
Negroes,  American,  ancestors  of,  9, 18 
Colonial,  enlistment  of,  61,  62 
British,  56,  67 
Hamilton's  letter  on,  58 
objections  to  the.  56,61,  62 
Washington's  letter,  60,  61 
enlistment  of,  war  of  the  Rebellion,  103 

-107 

re-enslavement  of,   after  the  Revolu- 
tion, 74 

some  noted,  167-186 
Nelson's  colored  troops  at  Port  Hudson, 

110-113 

New  London,  Conn.,  capture  of,  70 
Noah,  curse  of,  not  divine,  14 

sons  of,  9, 10,  15 
Noble,  Jordan  (veteran  soldier),  78 

PASTORIOUS,  Francis  Daniel,  40 
Payne,  Rev.  D.  A.  (bishop),  172 
Pehn,  WilJiam,  40 
Perry,  Capt.,  retort  of  Com.  Chauncey  to, 

Petersburg,  attack  of,  Negro  troops  in, 
122-129 

Phelps,  Genl.,104 

Pinchback,  Hon.  P.  B.,  175 

Planciancois,  Anselmas,  bravery  of,  111, 
112 

"  Planet"  the,  surrender  of,  169 

Plantations,  cotton,  Georgia,  47 

Population,  Negro,  at  the  close  of  the  Re- 
bellion, 160;  in  1850,  98  :  in  1860, 102  ; 
at  the  present  time,  160 

Port  Hudson,  Negro  soldiers  at,  110-113 

Presbyterians,  educational  work  of,  !54 

Price,  Dr.  J.  C.  (orator),  178 

Prince,  at  the  capture  of  Genl,  Prescott, 


Proclamations,  emancipation,  107 
Progress  of  Negro  culture,  142-166 

educational,  156-161 

financial,  162-166 

musical,  161 

religious,  146-155 

Property-holders,  noted  colored,  163 
Prophecy,  Noah's,  not  divine,  14 
Pyramids,  the,  9 

QUAKERS,  Penna.,  abolitionism  of,  80 

RACE,    colored,   progress  of,  since  free- 
dom, 142-196 

Races,  primitive,  progenitors  of,  9 

Railroad,  underground,  the,  99, 101 

Rayner,  Hon.  Kenneth,  194 

Rebellion,  enlistment  of  Negroes,  103-107 
incidents  of,  131-134 

Reconstruction  of  Southern  States,  138 

Refugees,  Negro,  Georgia,  48,  51 

Regiment,  first  colored,  115 

Rencher,  Hon.  Abram,  194 

Revels,  Hon.  Hiram,  167 

Revolution,  American,  Negro  heroes  of, 

63-67 
soldiers  of.  56,  63-67 

Richmond,  siege  and  fall  of,  129,  130 

Riot,  draft,  New  York,  115 
Negro,  in  New  York  (1712),  23 
slave  (1748),  in  So.  Carolina,  44 

SALEM,  PETER,  bravery  of,  66 
Scarborough,  Prof.  W.  S.,  156, 176 
School,  colored,  first,  in  New  England, 

32 

Normal,  Tuskegee,178 
School-children,  colored,  number  of,  16fr 

-teachers,  colored,  number  of,  160 
Schools,  colored,  establishment  of,  141 
Southern,  educational  expense,  160 

expenditure  on,  157 
Science  and  art,  noted  Negroes  in,  164 
Selika,  Madame  (singer),  183 
Seminary,  Scotia,  155 
Senator, "U.  S.,  first  Negro,  167 
Sewall,  Judge  Samuel,  26 
Simmons,  Rev.  W.  J.  (educator),  181 
Singers,  colored,  noted,  183,  184 

Jubilee,  Fisk,  161 
Slave  and  master,  affection  between,  143> 

144 

law,  fugitive,  99 
population,  in  1850,  98 
in  1860, 102 

at  the  present  time,  160 
(See  NEGRO.) 

Slavery,  in  Conn.,  introduction  of,  55 
in  Delaware,  40  . 

introduction  of,  55 
in  Georgia,  46,  47 
in  Jamestown,  Va.,  17 
in  Maryland,  34,  55 
in  Massachusetts,  existence  of,  25,  56 
in  New  Hampshire,  introduction  of,  55 


200 


INDEX. 


Slavery  in  New  Jersey,  introduction  of,  55 
In  New  York  colony,  23,  55 
in  North  Carolina,  41, 55 
in  Pennsylvania,  40, 55 
in  Rhode  Island,  introduction  of,  55 
in  South  Carolina.  44,  55 
in  Virginia,  introduction  of,  55 
Slaves,  American,  ancestors  of,  18 

condition.  18, 19.  23.  25,  34,  41,  44 
colonial,  compensation  of  master  for 

enlisted,  61 
emancipation  of,  for  military  service, 

61 
emancipation  of,  in  Mass.,  26 

in  Virginia,  72 

faithfulness  of,  during  civil  war,  136 
freed,  condition  of,  at  close  of  the  Re-' 

bellion,  144 
fugitive,  99 
enlistment  of,  104 
at  Blount's  Fort,  48-50 
importation  of,  in  America,  17 
introduction  of,  17,  55 
runaway,  in  S.  C.,  44 
white,  in  Maryland,  34 
Slaves,  Maryland, .34 

New  England,  emancipation  of,  27 
Small,  Hon.  Robert,  168 
Smith,  Genl.,  at  Petersburg,  122, 124, 125 
Gov.  John,  edict  of,  20 
Prof.  E.  E.,  178 
Societies,  anti-slavery,  formation  of,  80 

number  in  1836,  82 
Northern,  for  the  education  of  Southern 

Negroes,  152 

Society,  colonization,  American,  88 
Soldiers,  Negro,  colonial,  compensation 

of,  61 

enlistment  of,  reward,  62,  67, 71,  72 
in  Revolutionary  times,  45,  56 
in  1812,  Jackson's  address  to,  75 
of  the  ^Rebellion,  conduct  of,  109. 110 
Confederate,  103 
first  regiment  of,  115 
prejudice  to,  103 
public  sentiment  against,  104-106 

change  of.  117 
Stevens'  bill  to  enlist,  105 
Sphinx,  the,  12 

Staines,  William,  bravery  of,  134 
Stan  ton,  encomium  of,  on  Negro  troops, 

125 

StaroSZi&n,  the,  152 

States,  admission  as  free  OT  slave,  agita- 
tion, 99 

Southern,  reconstruction  of,  138 
Still.  William,  164 
Stowe,  Harriet  Beecher,  83 
Sutfrage,  universal,  effect  of  Southern, 

139 
Sumner,  Charles,  98 

TANNER,  HENRY  (artist),  164 
Tappan,  Arthur,  81 
I*wis,97 


Teachers,  colored  school,  number.  160 
Telegraph,    cjothes-linc,   Dabney's.  131- 

134 

Terry,  John  W..1G4  % 

Troops,  Negro,  as  soldiers,  105, 106 

bravery  of.  109-134 

first  regimentbf,  115 

pay  of  the,  106 
Troops,  Negro,  Colonial  (see  SOLDIERS). 

at  Fort  Pillow,  115,  U8 

atMilliken's  Bend,  113 

at  Petersburg,  122-129 

at  Port  Hudson,  110-113 

at  the  Wilderness,  120 

in  Confederate  army,  104, 105. 135 

in  Union  army,  106,  135 

in  Virginia  campaign,  119 
(see  ARMY,  SOLDIERS.) 
Tupper,  Dr.  H.  M.,  158 
Turner,  H.  M.  (bishop),  174 
Nathaniel,  execution  of,  92 

insurrection  of,  90 


"  UNCLE  TOM'S  CABIJT,"  83 
Underground  railroad,  99 

work  of  the,  101 
University,  Alcorn,  167 

Biddle,  154 

Lincoln,  154 

Selma,  150 

Shaw,  138 

Wilberforce,  149 


VIRGINIA  CALCULATOR,  the,  20 


WAR,  civil,  American  (see  REBELLION). 

in  Kansas,  99 

Mexican,  outbreak  of  the,  80 
of  1812, 74,  78 

enlistment  of  free  Negroes  for,  75 
Negroes  in  the  navy  of,  76 
of  the  Rebellion.  103 
incidents  of,  131-134 
Revolutionary»end  of  the,  74 

Negroes  in  the,  56,  63-67 
Washington,  Prof.  B  T.,  177 
George,  freedom  of  slaves  by,  72 

incidents  of,  67, 68 
Madison,  freedom  of,  94 
Watkins,  Avery  (preacher),  93 

Frances  Ellen.  38,  39 
Wealth  of  colored  peopie,  163, 164 
Webster.  Daniel,  98 
Welsh,  Molly,  35 

Wheatley,  Pnillis,  culture  of,  27,  28 
death  of,  31 

Washington's  letter  to,  29 
Whitfield,  George,  47  n 
Williams.  George  W.  (author),  156 

Roger,  150 

Wilson,  Joseph  T.  (author),  15<V 
Woods,  Granville  T.  (inventor),  163 


WILLIAM    McKINLEY. 


HISTORY  OF  NEGRO  SOLDIERS 


IN    THE 


SPANISH-AMERICAN  WAR 


AND 


OTHER  ITEMS  OF  INTEREST. 


BY 

EDWARD  A.  JOHNSON, 

AUTHOR  OF  THE  FAMOUS  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE!NEGRO  RACE  IN  AMERICA, 


RALEIGH,  N.  C.: 

CAPITAI,  PRINTING  COMPANY,  PUBLISHERS, 
1901. 


COPYRIGHT,     1899, 

BY   EDWARD   A.  JOHNSON,  RALEIGH,  N.  C. 
ALL  RIGHTS   RESERVED. 


/  $5 


CONTENTS. 

(SEE  LAST  PAGE  FOR  INDEX  TO  ILLUSTRATIONS.) 


PAGE 

CHAPTER  I 209-235 

The  Cause  of  the  War  With  Spain — The  Virginius  Affair — General 
Fitzhugh  Lee — Belligerent  Rights  to  Insurgents — Much  Money  and 
Time  Spent  by  United  States — Spain  Tries  to  Appease  Public  Senti- 
ment— "Weyler"  The  Butcher — Resolutions  by  Congress  Favoring 
Insurgents — Insurgents  Gain  by  —  General  Antonio  Maceo  —  The 
Spirit  of  Insurgents  at  Maceo's  Death — Jase  Maceo — Weyler's  Policy 
— Miss  Cisnero's  Rescue — Appeal  for  Her — Spain  and  Havana  Stirred 
by  American  Sentiment — Battle  Ship  Maine — Official  Investigation 
of  Destruction  of — Responsibility  for— Congress  Appropriates  $50,- 
000,000  for  National  Defence — President's  Message — Congress  De- 
clares War — Resolution  Signed  by  President — Copy  of  Resolution 
Sent  Minister  Woodf ord — Fatal  Step  for  Spain — American  Navy . 

CHAPTER  II 236-237 

Beginning  of  Hostilities — Colored  Hero  in  the  Navy. 

CHAPTER  III 238-267 

Seargeant  Major  Pullen  of  Twenty-fifth  Infantry  Describes  the  Conduct 
of  Negro  Soldiers  Around  El  Caney — Its  Station  Before  the  Spanish- 
American  War  and  Trip  to  Tampa,  Florida — The  Part  it  Took  in  the 
Fight  at  El  Caney — Buffalo  Troopers,  the  Name  by  which  Negro 
Soldiers  are  Known — The  Charge  of  the  "Nigger  Ninth"  on  San 
Juan  Hill. 

CHAPTER  IV. 268-293 

Colonel  Theodore  B.  Roosevelt  on  the  Colored  Soldiers— Colonel  Roose- 
velt's Error — Jacob  A.  Riis  Compliments  Negro  Soldiers— General 
Nelson  A.  Miles  Compliments  Negro  Soldiers — Cleveland  Moffitt 
Compliments  the  Negro  Soldiers — President  McKinley  Promotes 
Negro  Soldiers — General  Thomas  J.  Morgan  on  Negro  Officers. 


206  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

CHAPTER  V 294-334 

Many  Testimonials  in  Behalf  of  Negro  Soldiers — A  Southerner's  State- 
ment— Reconciliation — Charleston  News  and  Courier — Good  Marks- 
manship at  El  Caney — Their  Splendid  Courage;  Fought  Like  Tigers — 
Never  wavered — What  Army  Officers  Say — Acme  of  Bravery — Around 
Santiago— Saved  the  Life  of  His  Lieutenant,  but  Lost  His  Own — 
"  Black  Soldier  Boys  "—New  York  Mail  and  Express— They  Never 
Faltered — The  Negro  Soldier;  His  Good-heartedness — Mrs.  Porter's 
Ride — Investment  of  Santiago  and  Surrender — Killed  and  Wounded. 

CHAPTER  VI 335-347 

No  Color  Line  in  Cuba — A  Graphic  Description — American  Prejudice 
Cannot  Exist  There— A  Catholic  Priest  Vouches  for  it— Colored 
Belles — War  Began — Facts  About  Porto  Rico. 

CHAPTER  VII 348-384 

List  of  Colored  Regiments  that  did  Active  Service  in  the  Spanish- 
American  War — A  List  of  the  Volunteer  Regiments — Full  Account 
of  the  Troubles  of  the  Sixth  Virginia — Comments  on  the  Third  North 
Carolina  Regiment. 

CHAPTER  VIII.  .     . 385-387 

The  Twenty-Fourth  U.  S.  Infantry— Field  and  Staff  Officers. 

CHAPTER  IX 388-417 

General  Items  of  Interest  to  the  Race — Miss  Alberta  Scott — Discovery 
of  the  Games  Family — Colored  Wonder  on  the  Bicycle — Negro 
Millionaire  Found  at  Last — Uncle  Sam's  Money  Sealer — Paul  Law- 
rence Dunbar,  the  Negro  Poet — Disfranchisement  of  Colored  Voters. 

CHAPTER  X 418-426 

Some  Facts  About  the  Filipinos  —  Who  Aguinaldo  is  —  Facts  from 
Felipe  Agoncillo's  Article. 


CONTENTS.  107 

PAGE 

CHAPTER  XI 427-443 

Resume — Why  the  American  Government  Does  not  Protect  its  Colored 
Citizen — State  Rights — Monocracy  Supreme — The  Solution  of  the 
Negro  Problem  is  Mainly  ^in  the  Race's  Own  Hands — The  South  a 
Good  Place  for  the  Negro,  Provided  he  can  be  Protected. 

APPENDIX 444 

The  Two  Black  Regiments — Names  of  Officers. 


CHAPTER  1. 


THE  CAUSE  OF  THE  WAR  WITH  SPAIN. 

MANY  CAUSES  LEI>  up  to  the  Spanish- American  wan. 
Cuba  had  been  in  a  state  of  turmoil  for  a  long  time,  and  the 
continual  reports  of  outrages  on  the  people  of  the  island  by 
Spain  greatly  aroused  the  Americans.  The  "ten  years 
war"  had  terminated,  leaving  the  island  much  embarrassed 
in  its  material  interests,  and  woefully  scandalized  by  the 
methods  of  procedure  adopted  by  Spain  and  principally 
carried  out  by  Generals  Campos  and  Weyler,  the  latter  of 
whom  was  called  the  "  butcher  "  on  account  of  his  alleged 
cruelty  in  attempting  to  suppress  the  former  insurrection. 
There  was  no  doubt  much  to  complain  of  under  his  admin- 
istration, for  which  the  General  himself  was  not  personally 
responsible.  He  boasted  that  he  only  had  three  individuals 
put  to  death,  and  that  in  each  of  these  cases  he  was  highly 
justified  by  martial  law. 

FINALLY  THE  ATTENTION  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  was  forci- 
bly attracted  to  Cuba  by  the  Virginius  affair,  which  consisted 
in  the  wanton  murder  of  fifty  American  sailors — officers  and 
crew  of  the  Virginius,  which  was  captured  by  the  Spanish 
off  Santiago  bay,  bearing  arms  and  ammunition  to  the 
insurgents — Captain  Fry,  a  West  Point  graduate,  in  com 
mand. 

Spain  would,  no  doubt,  have  received  a  genuine  American 
thrashing  on  this  occasion  had  she  not  been  a  republic  at 
that  time,  and  President  Grant  and  others  thought  it  unwise 


210 

to  crush  out  her  republican  principles,  which  then  seemed 
just  budding  into  existence. 

The  horrors  of  this  incident,  however,  were  not  out  of  the 
minds  of  Ihe  American  people  when  the  new  insurrection 
of  1895  broke  out.  At  once,  as  if  by  an  electric  flash,  the 
sympathy  of  the  American  people  was  enlisted  with  the 
Insurgents  who  were  (as  the  Americans  believed)  fighting 
Spain  for  their  liberty.  Public  opinion  was  on  the  Insur- 
gents' side  and  against  Spain  from  the  beginning.  This 
feeling  of  sympathy  for  the  fighting  Cubans  knew  no  North 
nor  South  ;  and  strange  as  it  may  seem  the  Southerner  who 
quails  before  the  mob  spirit  that  disfranchises,  ostracises  and 
lynches  an  American  Negro  who  seeks  his  liberty  at  home, 
became  a  loud  champion  of  the  Insurgents'  cause  in  Cuba, 
which  was,  in  fact,  the  cause  of  Cuban  negroes  and  mulat- 
toes. 

GENERAL  FITZHUOH  LEE,  of  Virginia,  possibly  the  most 
noted  Southerner  of  the  day,  was  sent  by  President  Cleve- 
land to  Havana  as  Consul  General,  and  seemed  proud  of  the 
honor  of  representing  his  government  there,  judging  from 
his  reports  of  the  Insurgents,  which  were  favorable.  Gen- 
eral Lee  was  retained  at  his  post  by  President  McKinley 
until  it  became  necessary  to  recall  him,  thus  having  the 
high  honor  paid  him  of  not  being  changed  by  the  new 
McKinley  administration,  which  differed  from  him  in  poli- 
tics ;  and  as  evidence  of  General  Fitzhugh  Lee's  sympathy 
with  the  Cubans  it  may  be  cited  that  he  sent  word  to  the 
Spanish  Commander  (Blanco)  on  leaving  Havana  that  he 
would  return  to  the  island  again  and  when  he  came  he 
"  would  bring  the  stars  and  stripes  in  front  of  him." 


t 


I 


% 


GENERAL   FITZHUGH 


211 


2I3 

BELLIGERENT  RIGHTS  TO  THE  INSURGENTS  OR  NEUTRALITY 

became  the  topic  of  discussion  during  the  close  of  President 
Cleveland's  administration.  The  President  took  the  ground 
that  the  Insurgents  though  deserving  of  proper  sympathy, 
and  such  aid  for  humanity's  sake  as  could  be  given  them  yet 
they  had  not  established  on  any  part  of  the  island  such  a 
form  of  government  as  could  be  recognized  at  Washington, 
and  accorded  belligerent  rights  or  rights  of  a  nation  at  war 
with  another  nation  ;  that  the  laws  of  neutrality  should  be 
strictly  enforced,  and  America  should,  keep  "hands  off" 
and  let  Spain  and  the  Insurgents  settle  their  own  differ- 
ences. 

MUCH  MONEY  AND  TIME  was  expended  by  the  United 
States  government  in  maintaining  this  neutral  position. 
Filibustering  expeditions  were  constantly  being  fitted  up  in 
America  with  aims  and  ammunition  for  the  Cuban  patriots. 
As  a  neutral  power  it  became  the  duty  of  the  American 
government  to  suppress  fillibustering,  but  it  was  both  an 
unpleasant  and  an  expensive  duty,  and  one  in  which  the 
people  had  little  or  no  sympathy. 

SPAIN  TRIES  TO  APPEASE  public  sentiment  in  America 
by  recalling  Marshal  Campos,  who  was  considered  unequal 
to  the  task  of  defeating  the  Insurgents,  because  of  reputed 
inaction.  The  flower  of  the  Spanish  army  was  poured  into 
Cuba  by  the  tens  of  thousands — estimated,  all  told,  at  three 
hundred  thousand  when  the  crisis  between  America  and 
Spain  was  reached. 

WEYLER,  "THE  BUTCHER,"  was  put  in  command  and 
inaugurated  the  policy  of  establishing  military  zones  inside 
of  the  Spanish  lines,  into  which  the  unarmed  farmers,  mer- 


214 

chants,  women  and  children  were  driven,  penniless ;  and 
being  without  any  visible  means  of  subsistence  were  left  to 
perish  from  hunger  and  disease.  (The  condition  of  these 
people  greatly  excited  American  sympathy  with  the  Insur- 
gents.) General  Weyler  hoped  thus  to  weaken  the  Insur- 
gents who  received  considerable  of  supplies  from  this  class 
of  the  population,  either  by  consent  or  force.  Weyler' s 
policy  in  reference  to  the  reconcentrados  (as  these  non-com- 
batant people  were  called)  rather  increased  than  lessened 
the  grievance,  as  was  natural  to  suppose,  in  view  of  the 
misery  and  suffering  it  entailed  on  a  class  of  people  who, 
most  of  all,  were  not  the  appropriate  subjects  for  his  perse- 
cution, and  sentiment  became  so  strong  in  the  United 
States  against  this  policy  (especially  in  view  of  the  fact 
that  General  Weyler  had  promised  to  end  the  "  Insurrec- 
tion "  in  three  months  after  he  took  command)  that  in 

FEBRUARY,  1896,  the  United  States  Congress  took  up  the 
discussion  of  the  matter.  Several  Senators  and  Congress- 
men returned  from  visits  to  the  island  pending  this  discus- 
sion, in  which  they  took  an  active  and  effective  part,  de- 
picting a  most  shocking  and  revolting  situation  in  Cuba, 
for  which  Spain  was  considered  responsible ;  and  on  April 
6th  following  this  joint  resolution  was  adopted  by  Congress  : 

"jBe  it  resolved  by  the  Senate  and  Souse  of  Representa- 
tive of  the  United  States  of  America,  that  in  the  opinion 
of  Congress  a  public  war  exists  between  the  Government 
of  Spain  and  the  Government  proclaimed  and  for  some  time 
maintained  by  force  of  arms  by  the  people  of  Cuba ;  and 
that  the  United  States  of  America  should  maintain  a  strict 


GENERAL  ANTONIO  MACEO. 


217 

neutrality  between  the  contending  powers,  according  to 
each  all  the  rights  of  belligerents  in  the  ports  and  territory 
of  the  United  States. 

"Resolved  further,  that  the  friendly  offices  of  the  United 
States  should  be  offered  by  the  President  to  the  Spanish 
government  for  the  recognition  of  the  independence  of 
Cuba." 

THE  INSURGENTS  gained  by  this  resolution  an  important 
point.  It  dignified  their  so-called  insurrection  into  an 
organized  army  with  a  government  at  its  back,  which  was 
so  recognized  and  treated  with.  They  could  buy  and  sell 
in  American  ports. 

GENERAL  ANTONIO  MACEO  about  this  time  was  doing  great 
havoc  along  the  Spanish  lines.  He  darted  from  place  to 
place,  back  and  forth  across  the  supposed  impassable  line 
of  Spanish  fortifications  stretching  north  and  south  across 
the  island  some  distance  from  Havana,  and  known  as  the 
trocha.  Thousands  of  Spanards  fell  as  the  result  of  his 
daring  and  finesse  in  military  execution.  His  deeds  became 
known  in  America,  and  though  a  man  of  Negro  descent, 
with  dark  skin  and  crisp  hair,  his  fame  was  heralded  far 
and  wide  in  the  American  newspapers.  At  a  public  gath- 
ering in  New  York,  where  his  picture  was  exhibited,  the 
audience  went  wild  with  applause — the  waving  of  handker- 
chiefs and  the  wild  hurrahs  were  long  and  continued.  The 
career  of  this  hero  was  suddenly  terminated  by  death,  due 
to  the  treachery  of  his  physician  Zertucha,  who,  under  the 
guise  of  a  proposed  treaty  of  peace,  induced  him  to  meet  a 
company  of  Spanish  officers,  at  which  meeting,  according 


218 

to  a  pre-arranged  plot,  a  mob  of  Spanish  infantry  rushed  in 
on  General  Maceo  and  shot  him  down  unarmed.  It  is  said 
that  his  friends  recovered  his  body  and  buried  it  in  a  secret 
place  unknown  to  the  Spaniards,  who  were  anxious  to  obtain 
it  for  exhibition  as  a  trophy  of  war  in  Havana.  u  Maceo  was 
equal  to  Toussaint  L/Overture  of  San  Domingo.  His  pub- 
lic life  was  consecrated  to  liberty ;  he  knew  no  vice  nor 
mean  action  ;  he  would  not  permit  any  around  him.  When 
he  landed  in  Cuba  from  Porto  Rico  he  was  told  there  were 
no  arms.  He  replied,  "  I  will  get  them  with  my  machete," 
and  he  left  five  thousand  to  the  Cubans,  conquered  by  his 
arm.  Every  time  the  Spanish  attacked  him  they  were 
beaten  and  left  thousands  of  arms  and  much  ammunition 
in  his  possession.  He  was  born  in  Santiago  de  Cuba  July 
14,  1848. 

THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  INSURGENTS  did  not  break  with  Gen- 
eral Maceo's  death.  Others  rose  up  to  fill  his  place,  the 
women  even  taking  arms  in  the  defence  of  home  and  liberty. 
"At  first  no  one  believed  who  had  not  seen  them,  that  there 
were  women  in  the  Cuban  army ;  but  there  is  no  doubt 
about  it.  They  are  not  all  miscalled  amazons,  for  they  are 
warlike  women  and  do  not  shun  fighting.  The  difficulty 
in  employing  them  being  that  they  are  insanely  brave. 
When  they  ride  into  battle  they  become  exalted  and  are 
dangerous  creatures.  Those  who  first  joined  the  forces  on 
the  field  were  the  wives  of  men  belonging  in  the  army,  and 
their  purpose  was  rather  to  be  protected  than  to  become 
heroines  and  avengers.  It  shows  the  state  of  the  island, 
that  the  women  found  the  army  the  safest  place  for  them. 
With  the  men  saved  from  the  plantations  and  the  murderous 


MISS    EVANGEUNA   COSIO   Y  CISNEROS. 


219 


221 

bandits  infesting  the  roads  and  committing  every  lamenta- 
ble outrage  upon  the  helpless,  some  of  the  high  spirited 
Cuban  women  followed  their  husbands,  and  the  example 
has  been  followed,  and  some,  instead  of  consenting  to  be 
protected  have  taken  up  the  fashion  of  fighting." — Murat 
Hoisted. 

JOSE  MACEO,  brother  of  Antonio,  was  also  a  troublesome 
character  to  the  Spaniards,  who  were  constantly  being  set 
upon  by  him  and  his  men. 

WEYLER'S  POLICY  AND  THE  BRAVE  STRUGGLE  of  the  peo- 
ple both  appealed  very  strongly  for  American  sympathy 
with  the  Insurgent  cause.  The  American  people  were 
indignant  at  Weyler  and  were  inspired  by  the  conduct  of 
the  Insurgents.  Public  sentiment  grew  stronger  with  every 
fresh  report  of  an  Insurgent  victory,  or  a  Weyler  persecu- 
tion. 

MISS  ETAXGELINA  COSIO  Y  CISNEROS'  RESCUE  helped  to 
arouse  sentiment.  This  young  and  beautiful  girl  of  aristo- 
cratic Cuban  parentage  alleged  that  a  Spanish  officer  had,  on 
the  occasion  of  a  raid  made  on  her  home,  in  which  her 
father  was  captured  and  imprisoned  as  a  Cuban  sympathizer, 
proposed  her  release  on  certain  illicit  conditions,  and  on  her 
refusal  she  was  incarcerated  with  her  aged  father  in  the 
renowned  but  filthy  and  dreaded  Morro  Castle  at  Havana. 

APPEAL  AFTER  APPEAL  by  large  numbers  of  the  most 
prominent  women  in  America  was  made  to  General  Weyler, 
and  even  to  Queen  Regent  of  Spain,  for  her  release,  but 
without  avail,  when  finally  the  news  was  flashed  to  America 
that  she  had  escaped.  This  proved  to  be  true — her  release 
being  effected  by  Carl  Decker,  a  reporter  on  the  New  York 


222 

Journal — a  most  daring  feat.  Miss  Cisneros  was  brought 
to  America  and  became  the  greatest  sensation  of  the  day. 
Her  beauty,  her  affection  for  her  aged  father,  her  innocence, 
and  the  thrilling  events  of  her  rescue,  made  her  the  public 
idol,  and  gave  Cuba  librc  a  new  impetus  in  American 
sympathy. 

SPAIN  AND  HAVANA  felt  the  touch  of  these  ever  spreading 
waves  of  public  sentiment,  and  began  to  resent  them.  At 
Havana  public  demonstrations  we  made  against  America. 
The  life  of  Consul  General  Lee  was  threatened.  The 
Spanish  Minister  at  Washington,  Senor  de  Lome,  was  ex- 
posed for  having  written  to  a  friend  a  most  insulting  letter, 
describing  President  McKinley  as  a  low  politician  and  a 
weakling.  For  this  he  was  recalled  by  Spain  at  the  request 
of  the  American  government. 

Protection  to  American  citizens  and  property  in  Havana 
became  necessary,  and  accordingly  the  BATTLE  SHIP  MAINE 
was  sent  there  for  this  purpose,  the  United  States  govern- 
ment disclaiming  any  other  motives  save  those  of  protection 
to  Americans  and  their  interests.  The  Maine  was,  to  all 
outward  appearances,  friendly  received  by  the  Spaniards  at 
Havana  by  the  usual  salutes  and  courtesies  of  the  navy, 
and  was  anchored  at  a  point  in  the  bay  near  a  certain  bouy 
designated  by  the  Spanish  Commander.  This  was  on 
January  25,  1898,  and  on  February  i5th  this  noble  vessel 
was  blown  to  pieces,  and  266  of  its  crew  perished — two 
colored  men  being  in  the  number.  This  event  added  fuel 
to  the  already  burning  fire  of  American  <eeling  against 
Spain.  Public  sentiment  urged  an  immediate  declaration 
of  war.  President  McKinley  coumeled  moderation.  Cap- 


223 


225 

tain  Siggsbee,  who  survived  the  wreck  of  the  Maine,  pub- 
lished an  open  address  in  which  he  advised  that  adverse 
criticism  be  delayed  until  an  official  investigation  could  be 
made  of  the  affair. 

THE  OFFICIAL  INVESTIGATION  was  had  by  a  Court  of 
Inquiry,  composed  of  Captain  W.  T.  Sampson  of  the  Iowa, 
Captain  F.  C.  Chadwick  of  the  New  York,  Lieutenant- 
Commander  W.  P.  Potter  of  the  New  York,  and  Lieutenant- 
Commander  Adoph  Marix  of  the  Vermont,  appointed  by 
the  President.  Divers  were  employed  to  examine  the  shat- 
tered hull  of  the  Maine;  many  witnesses  were  examined,  and 
the  court,  by  a  unanimous  decision,  rendered  March  21, 
1898,  after  a  four  weeks'  session,  reported  as  follows: 
u  That  the  loss  of  Maine  was  not  in  any  respect  due  to 
the  fault  or  negligence  on  the  part  of  any  of  the  officers  or 
members  of  her  crew  ;  that  the  ship  was  destroyed  by  the 
explosion  of  a  submarine  mine  which  caused  the  partial 
explosion  of  two  or  more  of  her  forward  magazines ;  and 
that  no  evidence  has  been  obtainable  fixing  the  responsi- 
bility for  the  destruction  of  the  Maine  upon  any  person  or 
persons." 

RESPONSIBILITY  IN  THIS  REPORT  is  not  fixed  on  any 
"  person  or  persons."  It  reads  something  like  the  usual 
verdict  of  a  coroner's  jury  after  investigating  the  death  of 
some  colored  man  who  has  been  lynched, — "  he  came  to 
his  death  by  the  hands  of  parties  unknown."  This  report 
on  the  Maine's  destruction,  unlike  the  usual  coroner's  jury 
verdict,  however,  in  one  respect,  was  not  accepted  by  the 
people,  who  claimed  that  Spain  was  responsible,  either 


226 

directly  or  indirectly,  for  the  explosion,  and  the  public  still 
clamored  for  war  to  avenge  the  outrage. 

CONGRESS  ALSO  CATCHES  the  war  fever  and  appropriated 
#50,000,000  "for  the  national  defense "  by  a  unanimous 
vote  of  both  houses.  The  war  and  navy  departments  be- 
came very  active;  agents  were  sent  abroad  to  buy  war  ships, 
but  the  President  still  hesitated  to  state  his  position  until 
he  had  succeeded  in  getiing  the  American  Consuls  out  of 
Cuba  who  were  in  danger  from  the  Spaniards  there.  Con- 
sul Hyatt  embarked  from  Santiago  April  3,  and  Consul 
General  Lee,  who  was  delaved  in  getting  off  American 
refugees,  left  on  April  10,  and  that  day  the  PRESIDENT 
SENT  HIS  MESSAGE  TO  CONGRESS.  He  pictured  the  deplor- 
able condition  of  the  people  of  Cuba,  due  to  General  Wey- 
ler's  policy ;  he  recommended  that  the  Insurgent  govern- 
ment be  not  recognized,  as  such  recognition  might  involve 
this  government  in  "embarrassing  international  complica- 
tion," but  referred  the  whole  subject  to  Congress  for  ac- 
tion. 

CONGRESS  DECLARES  WAR  ON  APRIL  13  by  a  joint  resolu- 
tion of  the  Foreign  Affairs  Committee  of  both  houses, 
which  was  adopted,  after  a  conference  of  the  two  commit- 
tees, April  1 8,  in  the  following  form  : 

WHEREAS,  the  abhorrent  conditions  which  have  existed 
for  more  than  three  years  in  the  island  of  Cuba,  so  near 
our  own  borders,  have  shocked  the  moral  sense  of  the  peo- 
ple of  the  United  States,  have  been  a  disgrace  to  Christian 
civilization,  culminating  as  they  have  in  the  destruction 
of  a  United  States  battle  ship,  with  266  of  its  officers  and 
crew,  while  on  a  friendly  visit  in  the  harbor  of  Havana,, 


227 

and  cannot  longer  be  endured,  as  has  been  set  forth  by  the 
President  of  the  United  States  in  his  message  to  Congress 
of  April  n,  1898,  upon  which  the  action  of  Congress  was 
invited :  therefore, 

Resolved,  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives 
of  the  United  States  of  America  in  Congress  assembled — 

First,  that  the  people  of  the  island  of  Cuba  are,  and  of 
right  ought  to  be  free  and  independent. 

Second,  that  it  is  the  duty  of  the  United  States  to  de- 
mand, and  the  government  of  the  United  States  does  here- 
by demand,  that  the  government  of  Spain  at  once  relin- 
quish its  authority  and  government  in  the  island  of  Cuba 
and  withdraw  its  land  and  naval  forces  from  Cuba  and 
Cuban  waters. 

Third,  that  the  President  of  the  United  States  be,  and 
he  hereby  i«,  directed  and  empowered  to  use  the  entire 
land  and  naval  forces  of  the  United  States,  and  to  call  into 
the  actual  service  of  the  United  States  the  militia  of  the 
several  states  to  such  extent  as  may  be  necessary  to  carry 
these  resolutions  into  effect. 

Fouith,  that  the  United  States  hereby  disclaims  any 
disposition  or  intention  to  exercise  sovereignty,  jurisdic- 
tion or  control  over  said  island,  except  for  the  pacification 
thereof,  and  asserts  its  determination  when  that  is  com- 
pleted to  leave  the  government  and  control  of  the  island  to 
its  people. 

THE  PRESIDENT  SIGNED  THIS  RESOLUTION  at  11:24  A.  M- 
on  the  20th  of  April,  1898.  The  Spanish  Minister,  Senor 
Luis  Polo  y  Bernarbe,  was  served  with  a  copy,  upon  which 
he  asked  for  his  passports,  and  "immediately  left  Wash- 
ington." 


228 


EDDIE  SAYOY  OUTWITS  THE  SPANISH  MINISTER. 

"This  is  a  picture  of  Edward  Savoy,  who  accomplished 
one  of  the  most  signal  diplomatic  triumphs  in  connection 
with  recent  relations  with  Spain.  It  was  he  who  outwitted 
the  whole  Spanish  Legation  and  delivered  the  ultimatum 
to  Minister  Polo. 

"  Edward  Savoy  has  been  a  messenger  in  the  Depart- 
ment of  State  for  nearly  thirty  years.  He  was  appointed 
by  Hamilton  Fish  in  1869,  and  held  in  high  esteem  by 
James  G.  Elaine. 

u  He  was  a  short,  squat,  colored  man,  with  a  highly  in- 
telligent face,  hair  slightly  tinged  with  gray  and  an  air  of 
alertness  which  makes  him  stand  out  in  sharp  contrast 
with  the  other  messengers  whom  one  meets  in  the  halls  of 
the  big  building. 

"Of  all  the  men  under  whom  4  Eddie,'  as  he  is  univer- 
sally called,  has  served  he  has  become  most  attached  to 
Judge  Day,  whom  he  says  is  the  finest  man  he  ever  saw. 

"  Minister  Polo  was  determined  not  to  receive  the  ulti- 
matum. He  was  confident  he  would  receive  a  private  tip 
from  the  White  House,  which  would  enable  him  to  demand 
his  passports  before  the  ultimatum  was  served  upon  him. 
Then  he  could  refuse  to  receive  it,  saying  that  he  was  no 
longer  Minister.  It  will  be  remembered  that  Spain  hand- 
ed Minister  Woodford  his  passports  before  the  American 
representative  could  present  the  ultimatum  to  the  Spanish 
Government. 

"Judge  Day's  training  as  a  country  lawyer  stood  him  in 
good  stead.  He  had  learned  the  value  of  being  the  first  to 
get  in  an  attachment. 


EDDIE  SAVOY. 


229 


231 

"  The  ultimatum  was  placed  in  a  large,  square  envelope> 
that  might  have  contained  an  invitation  to  dinner.  It  was 
natural  that  it  should  be  given  to  '  Eddie'  Savoy.  He  had 
gained  the  sobriquet  of  the  nation's  'bouncer,'  from  the  fact 
that  he  had  handed  Lord  Sackville-West  and  Minister  De 
Lome  their  passports. 

"It  was  11:30  o'clock  on  Wednesday  morning  when 
*  Eddie'  Savoy  pushed  the  electric  button  at  the  front  door 
of  the  Spanish  Legation,  in  Massachusetts  avenue.  The 
old  Spanish  soldier  who  acted  as  doorkeeper  responded. 

"  *  Have  something  here  for  the  Minister,'  said  Eddie. 

"The  porter  looked  at  him  suspiciously,  but  he  per- 
mitted the  messenger  to  pass  into  the  vestibule,  which  is 
perhaps  six  feet  square.  Beyond  the  vestibule  is  a  pas- 
sage that  leads  to  the  large  central  hall.  The  Minister 
stood  in  the  hall.  In  one  hand  he  held  an  envelope.  It  was 
addressed  to  the  Secretary  of  State.  It  contained  a  request 
for  the  passports  of  the  Minister  and  his  suit.  Senor  Polo 
had  personally  brought  the  document  from  the  chancellory 
above. 

"  When  the  porter  presented  the  letter  just  brought  by 
the  Department  of  State's  messenger,  Senor  Polo  grasped 
it  in  his  quick,  nervous  way.  He  opened  the  envelope  and 
realized  instantly  that  he  had  been  outwitted.  A  cynical 
smile  passed  over  the  Minister's  face  as  he  handed  his 
request  for  passports  to  ( Eddie,'  who  bowed  and  smiled  on 
the  Minister. 

"Senor  Polo  stepped  back  into  the  hall  and  started  to 
read  the  ultimatum  carefully.  But  he  stopped  and  turned 
his  head  toward  the  door. 


232 

"  4  This  is  indeed  Jeffersonian  simplicity,'  he  said. 

"  l  Eddie'  Savoy  felt  very  badly  over  the  incident,  because 
he  had  learned  to  like  Minister  Polo  personally. 

" '  He  was  so  pleasant  that  I  felt  like  asking  him  to  stay 
a  little  longer,'  said  '  Eddie,'  'but  I  didn't,  for  that  wouldn't 
have  been  diplomatic.  When  you  have  been  in  this  de- 
partment twenty-five  or  thirty  years  you  learn  never  to  say 
what  you  want  to  say  and  never  to  speak  unless  you  think 
twice.' 

"  Wherefore  it  will  be  seen  that  '  Eddie '  Savoy  has  mas- 
tered the  first  principles  of  diplomacy." — N.  T.  World. 

A  COPY  OF  THE  RESOLUTION  BY  CONGRESS  was  also  cabled 
to  Minister  Woodtord,  at  Madrid,  to  be  officially  transmit- 
ted to  the  Spanish  Government,  fixing  the  23d  as  the  limit 
for  its  reply,  but  the  Spanish  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs 
had  already  learned  of  the  action  of  Congress,  and  did  not 
permit  Minister  Woodford  to  ask  for  his  passports,  but  sent 
them  to  him  on  the  evening  of  the  2ist,  and  this  was  the 
formal  beginning  of  the  war. 

A  FATAL  STEP  WAS  THIS  FOR  SPAIN,  who  evidently,  as  her 
newspapers  declared,  did  not  think  the  "American  pigs" 
would  fight.  She  was  unaware  of  the  temper  of  the  peo- 
ple, who  seemed  to  those  who  knew  the  facts,  actually 
thirsting  for  Spanish  blood — a  feeling  due  more  or  less  to 
thirty  years  of  peace,  in  which  the  nation  had  become  rest- 
less, and  to  the  fact  also  that  America  had  some  new  boats, 
fine  specimens  of  workmanship,  which  had  been  at  target 
practice  for  a  long  time  and  now  yearned  for  the  reality, 
like  the  boy  who  has  a  gun  and  wants  to  try  it  on  the  real 


JOSE  MACEO. 


233 


235 

game.  The  proof  of  the  superiority  of  American  gunnery 
was  demonstrated  in  every  naval  battle.  The  accurate  aim 
of  Dewey's  gunners  at  Manilla,  and  Sampson  and  Schley's 
at  Santiago,  was  nothing  less  than  wonderful.  No  less 
wonderful,  however,  was  the  accuracy  of  the  Americans 
than  the  inaccuracy  of  the  Spaniards,  who  seemed  almost 
unable  to  hit  anything. 

WHILE  ACCREDITING  THE  AMERICAN  NAVY  with  its  full 
share  of  praise  for  its  wonderful  accomplishments,  let  us 
remember  that  there  is  scarcely  a  boat  in  the  navy  flying 
the  American  flag  but  what  has  a  number  of  COLORED 
SAILORS  on  it,  who,  along  with  others,  help  to  make  up  its 
greatness  and  superiority.  One  of  Dewey's  best  gunners  is 
said  to  be  a  negro. 


CHAPTER  II. 


THE    BEGINNING    OF    HOSTILITIES. 


A  COLORED  HERO  IN  THE  NAVY. 

History  records  the  negro  as  the  first  man  to  fall  in  three 
wars  of  America — Crispus  Attucks  in  the  Boston  massacre, 
March  5,  1770;  an  unknown  Negro  in  Baltimore  when  the 
Federal  troops  were  mobbed  in  that  city  en  route  to  the 
front,  and  Elijah  B.  Tunnell,  of  Accomac  county,  Virginia, 
who  fell  simultaneously  with  or  a  second  before  Ensign 
Bagley,  of  the  torpedo  boat  Wtnslo-w,  in  the  harbor  of  Car- 
denas, May  n,  1898,  in  the  Spanish- American  war. 

ELIJAH  B.  TUNNELL  was  employed  as  cabin  cook  on  the 
Winslo-w.  The  boat,  under  a  severe  fire  from  masked  bat- 
teries of  the  Spanish  on  shore,  was  disabled.  The  Wil- 
mington came  to  her  rescue,  the  enemy  meanwhile  still 
pouring  on  a  heavy  fire.  It  was  difficult  to  get  the  "  line  " 
fastened  so  that  the  Winsloiv  could  be  towed  off  out  of  range 
of  the  Spanish  guns.  Realizing  the  danger  the  boat  and 
crew  were  in,  and  anxious  to  be  of  service,  Tunnell  left  his 
regular  work  and  went  on  deck  to  assist  in  "making  fast'' 
the  two  boats,  and  while  thus  engaged  a  shell  came,  which, 
bursting  over  the  group  of  workers,  killed  him  and  three 
others.  It  has  been  stated  in  newspaper  reports  of  this  in- 
cident that  it  was  an  ill-aimed  shell  of  one  of  the  American 
boats  that  killed  Tunnell  and  Bagley.  Tunnell  was  taken 
on  board  the  Wilmington  with  both  legs  blown  off,  and 
fearfully  mutilated.  Turning  to  those  about  him,  he  asked, 
"  Did  we  win  in  the  fight,  boys  ?  "  The  reply  was,  "  Yes." 


237 

He  said,  "  Then  I  die  happy."  While  others  fell  at  the  post 
of  duty  it  may  be  said  of  this  brave  Negro  that  he  fell  while 
doing  more  than  his  duty.  He  might  have  kept  out  of 
harm's  way  if  he  had  desired,  but  seeing  the  situation  he 
rushed  forward  to  relieve  it  as  best  he  could,  and  died  a 
"volunteer"  in  service,  doing  what  others  ought  to  have 
done.  All  honor  to  the  memory  of  Elijah  B.  Tunnell,  who, 
if  not  the  first,  certainly  simultaneous  with  the  first,  martyr 
of  the  Spanish-American  war.  While  our  white  fellow- 
citizens  justly  herald  the  fame  of  Ensign  Bagley,  who  was 
known  to  the  author  from  his  youth,  let  our  colored  patriots 
proclaim  the  heroism  of  Tunnell  of  Accomac.  While  not 
ranking  as  an  official  in  the  navy,  yet  he  was  brave,  he  was 
faithful  and  we  may  inscribe  over  his  grave  that  "  he  died 
doing  what  he  could  for  his  country." 

War  Between  the  United  States  and  Spain  began  April 
21,  1898.  Actual  hostilities  ended  August  12,  1898,- by  the 
signing  of  the  protocol  by  the  Secretary  of  State  of  the 
United  States  for  the  United  States,  and  M.  Cambon,  the 
French  Embassador  at  Washington,  acting  for  Spain. 

The  war  lasted  114  days.  The  Americans  were  victorious 
in  every  regular  engagement.  In  the  three-days  battle 
around  Santiago,  the  Americans  lost  22  officers  and  208 
men  killed,  and  81  officers  and  1,203  men  wounded  and  79 
missing.  The  Spanish  loss  as  best  estimated  was  near 
i, 600  officers  and  men  killed  and  wounded. 

Santiago  was  surrounded  July  17,  1898,  with  something 
over  22,000  troops. 

General  Shafter  estimates  in  his  report  the  American 
forces  as  numbering  16,072  with  815  officers. 


CHAPTER    III. 


SERGEANT-MAJOR  PULLEN  OFTHE25-mlNFANTRY 

DESCRIBES  THE  CONDUCT  OF  THE  NEGRO 

SOLDIERS  AROUND  EL  CANEY. 


THE  TWENTY-FIFTH  U.  S.  INFANTRY-ITS  STATION  BEFORE 

THE  SPANISH-AMERICAN  WAR  AND  TRIP  TO  TAMPA, 

FLORIDA-THE  PART  IT  TOOK  IN  THE 

FIGHT  AT  EL  CANEY. 

When  our  magnificent  battle-ship  Maine  was  sunk  in 
Havana  harbor,  February  15,  1898,  the  25th  U.  S.  Infantry 
was  scattered  in  western  Montana,  doing  garison  duty, 
with  headquarters  at  Fort  Missoula.  This  regiment  had 
been  stationed  in  the  West  since  1880,  when  it  came  up 
from  Texas  where  it  had  been  from  its  consolidation  in 
1869,  fighting  Indians  building  roads,  etc.,  for  the  pioneers 
of  that  state  and  New  Mexico.  In  consequence  of  the  regi- 
ment's constant  frontier  service,  very  little  was  known  of 
it  outside  of  army  circles.  As  a  matter  of  course  it  was 
known  that  it  was  a  colored  regiment,  but  its  praises  had 
never  been  sung. 

Strange  to  say,  although  the  record  of  this  regiment  was 
equal  to  any  in  the  service,  it  had  always  occupied  remote 
stations,  except  a  short  period,  from  about  May,  1880,  to 
about  August,  1885,  when  headquarters,  band  and  a  few 
companies  were  stationed  at  Fort  Snelling,  near  St.  Paul, 
Minnesota. 


SERGEANT   FRANK   W    PUI«I,EN, 

Who  was  in  the  Charge  on  El  Caney  as  a  member  of  the 

Twenty-fifth  U.  S.  Infantry. 


241 

Since  the  days  of  reconstruction,  when  a  great  part  of  the 
country  (the  South  especially)  saw  the  regular  soldier  in  a 
low  state  of  discipline,  and  when  the  possession  of  a  sound 
physique  was  the  only  requirement  necessary  for  the  reciuit 
to  enter  the  service  of  the  United  States,  people  in  general 
had  formed  an  opinion  that  the  regular  soldier,  generally, 
and  the  Negro  soldier  in  particular,  was  a  most  undesirable 
element  to  have  in  a  community.  Therefore,  the  Secretary 
of  War,  in  ordering  changes  in  station  of  troops  from 
time  to  time  (as  is  customary  to  change  troops  from  severe 
climates  to  mild  ones  and  vice  versa,  that  equal  justice 
might  be  done  all)  had  repeatedly  overlooked  the  25th 
Infantry ;  or  had  only  ordered  it  from  Minnesota  to  the 
Dakotas  and  Montana,  in  the  same  military  depaitment, 
and  in  a  climate  more  severe  for  troops  to  serve  in  than  any 
in  the  United  States.  This  gallant  regiment  of  colored 
soldiers  served  eighteen  years  in  that  climate,  where,  in 
winter,  which  lasts  five  months  or  more,  the  temperature 
falls  as  low  as  55  degrees  below  zero,  and  in  summer  arises 
to  over  loo  degrees  in  the  shade. and  where  mosquitos  rival 
the  Jersey  breed. 

Before  Congress  had  reached  a  conclusion  as  to  what 
should  be  done  in  the  Maine  disaster,  an  order  had  been 
issued  at  headquarters  of  the  army  directing  the  removal 
of  the  regiment  to  the  department  of  the  South,  one  of  the 
then  recently  organized  departments. 

At  the  time  when  the  press  of  the  country  was  urging  a 
declaration  of  war,  and  when  Minister  Woodford,  at  Madrid, 
was  exhausting  all  the  arts  of  peace,  in  order  that  the  United 
States  might  get  prepared  for  war,  the  men  of  the  25th 


242 

Infantry  were  sitting  around  red-hot  stoves,  in  their  com- 
fortable quarters  in  Montana,  discussing  the  doings  of  Con- 
gress, impatient  for  a  move  against  Spain.  After  great 
excitement,  and  what  we  looked  upon  as  a  long  delay,  a 
telegraphic  order  came.  Not  for  us  to  leave  for  the  Depart- 
ment of  the  South,  but  to  go  to  that  lonely  sun-parched 
sandy  island,  Dry  Tortugas.  In  the  face  of  the  fact  that 
the  order  was  for  us  to  go  to  that  isolated  spot,  where  rebel 
prisoners  were  carried  and  turned  loose  during  the  war  of 
the  rebellion,  being  left  there  without  guard,  there  being 
absolutely  no  means  of  escape,  and  where  it  would  have 
been  necessary  for  our  safety  to  have  kept  Sampson's  fleet 
in  sight,  the  men  received  the  news  with  gladness  and 
cheered  as  the  order  was  read  to  them.  The  destination 
was  changed  to  Key  West,  Florida,  then  to  Chickamauga 
Park,  Georgia.  It  seemed  that  the  war  department  did  not 
know  what  to  do  with  the  soldiers  at  first. 

Early  Sunday  morning,  April  10,  1898,  Easter  Sunday, 
amidst  tears  of  lovers  and  others  endeared  by  long  acquaint- 
ance and  kindness,  and  the  enthusiastic  cheers  of  friends 
and  well-wisher,  the  start  was  made  for  Cuba. 

It  is  a  fact  worthy  of  note  that  Easter  services  in  all  the 
churches  in  Missoula,  Montana,  a  town  of  over  ten  thousand 
inhabitants,  was  postponed  the  morning  of  the  departure 
of  the  25th  Infantry,  and  the  whole  town  turned  out  to 
bid  us  farewell.  Never  before  were  soldies  more  encour- 
aged to  go  to  war  than  we.  Being  the  first  regiment  to 
move,  from  the  west,  the  papers  had  informed  the  people 
.of  our  route.  At  every  station  there  was  a  throng  of  peo- 
ple who  cheered  as  we  passed.  Everywhere  the  Stars  and 


243 

Stripes  could  be  seen.  Everybody  had  caught  the  war 
fever.  We  arrived  at  Chickamauga  Park  about  April  15, 
1898,  being  the  first  regiment  to  arrive  at  that  place.  We 
were  a  curiosity.  Thousands  of  people,  both  white  and 
colored,  from  Chatanooga,  Tenn.,  visited  us  daily.  Many 
of  them  had  never  seen  a  colored  soldier.  The  behavior 
of  the  men  was  such  that  even  the  most  prejudiced  could 
find  no  fault.  We  underwent  a  short  period  of  acclimation 
at  this  place,  then  moved  on  to  Tampa,  Fla.,  where  we 
spent  a  month  more  of  acclimation.  All  along  the  route 
from  Missoula,  Montana,  with  the  exception  of  one  or  two 
places  in  Georgia,  we  had  been  received  most  cordially. 
But  in  Georgia,  outside  of  the  Park,  it  mattered  not  if  we 
were  soldiers  of  the  United  States,  and  going  to  fight  for 
the  honor  of  our  country  and  the  freedom  of  an  oppressed 
and  starving  people,  we  were  "niggers,"  as  they  called  us, 
and  treated  us  with  contempt.  There  was  no  enthusiasm 
nor  Stars  and  Stripes  in  Georgia.  That  is  the  kind  of 
''united  country"  we  saw  in  the  south.  I  must  pass  over 
the  events  and  incidents  of  camp  life  at  Chickamauga  and 
Tampa.  Up  to  this  time  our  trip  had  seemed  more  like  a 
Sunday-school  excursion  than  anything  else.  But  when,, 
on  June  6th,  we  were  ordered  to  divest  ourselves  of  all 
clothing  and  equipage,  except  such  as  was  necessary  to- 
campaigning  in  a  tropical  climate,  for  the  first  time  the 
ghost  of  real  warfare  arose  before  us. 

ON    BOARD    THE   TRANSPORT. 

The  regiment  went  aboard  the  Government  transport, 
No.   14 — Concho — June  7,  1898.     On  the  same  vessel  were 


244 

the  1 4th  U.  S.  Infantry,  a  battalion  of  the  2d  Massachu- 
setts Volunteers  and  Brigade  Headquarters,  aggregating 
about  1,300  soldiers,  exclusive  of  the  officers.  This  was 
the  beginning  of  real  hardship.  The  transport  had  either 
been  a  common  freighter  or  a  cattle  ship.  Whatever  had 
been  its  employment  before  being  converted  into  a  trans- 
port, I  am  sure  of  one  thing,  it  was  neither  fit  for  man  nor 
beat  when  soldiers  were  transported  in  it  to  Cuba.  The 
actual  carrying  capacity  of  the  vessel  as  a  transport  was, 
in  my  opinion,  about  900  soldiers,  exclusive  of  the  officers, 
who,  as  a  rule,  surround  themselves  with  every  possible 
comfort,  even  in  actual  warfare.  A  good  many  times,  as 
on  this  occasion,  the  desire  and  demand  of  the  officers  for 
comfort  worked  serious  hardships  for  the  enlisted  men. 
The  lower  decks  had  been  filled  with  bunks.  Alas !  the 
very  thought  of  those  things  of  torture  makes  me  shudder 
even  now.  They  were  arranged  in  rows,  lengthwise  the 
ship,  of  course,  with  aisles  only  two  feet  wide  between  each 
row.  The  dimensions  of  a  man's  bunk  was  6  feet  long,  2 
feet  wide  and  2  feet  high,  and  they  were  arranged  in  tiers 
of  four,  with  a  four-inch  board  on  either  side  to  keep  one 
from  rolling  out.  The  Government  had  furnished  no  bed- 
ding at  all.  Our  bedding  consisted  of  one  blanket  as  mat- 
tress and  haversack  for  pillow.  The  25th  Infantry  was 
assigned  to  the  bottom  deck,  where  there  was  no  light,  ex- 
cept the  small  port  holes  when  the  gang  plank  was  closed. 
So  dark  was  it  that  candles  were  burned  all  day.  There 
was  no  air  except  what  came  down  the  canvass  air  shafts 
when  they  were  turned  to  the  breeze.  The  heat  of  that 
place  was  almost  unendurable.  Still  our  Brigade  Com- 


245 

mander  issued  orders  that  no  one  would  be  allowed  to  sleep 
on  the  main  deck.  That  order  was  the  only  one  to  my 
knowledge,  during  the  whole  campaign,  that  was  not 
obeyed  by  the  colored  soldiers.  It  is  an  unreported  fact 
that  a  portion  of  the  deck  upon  which  the  25th  Infantry 
took  passage  to  Cuba  was  flooded  with  water  during  the 
entire  journey. 

Before  leaving  Port  Tampa  the  Chief  Surgeon  of  the 
expedition  came  aboard  and  made  an  inspection,  the  result 
of  which  was  the  taking  off  of  the  ship  the  volunteer  bat- 
talion, leaving  still  on  board  about  a  thousand  men.  An- 
other noteworthy  fact  is  that  for  seven  days  the  boat  was 
tied  to  the  wharf  at  Port  Tampa,  and  we  were  not  allowed 
to  go  ashore,  unless  an  officer  would  take  a  whole  company 
off  to  bathe  and  exercise.  This  was  done,  too,  in  plain 
sight  of  other  vessels,  the  commander  of  which  gave  their 
men  the  privilege  of  going  ashore  at  will  for  any  purpose 
whatever.  It  is  very  easy  to  imagine  the  hardship  that 
was  imposed  upon  us  by  withholding  the  privilege  of  going 
ashore,  when  it  is  understood  that  there  were  no  seats  on 
the  vessel  for  a  poor  soldier.  On  the  main  deck  there  were 
a  large  number  of  seats  but  they  were  all  reserved  for  the 
officers.  A  sentinel  was  posted  on  either  side  of  the  ship 
near  the  middle  hatch-way,  and  no  soldier  was  allowed  to 
go  abaft  for  any  purpose,  except  to  report  to  his  superior 
officer  or  on  some  other  official  duty. 

Finally  the  i4th  of  June  came.  While  bells  were  ring- 
ing, whistles  blowing  and  bands  playing  cheering  strains 
of  music  the  transports  formed  "  in  fleet  in  column  of 
twos,''  and  under  convoy  of  some  of  the  best  war  craft  of 


246 

our  navy,  and  while  the  thousands  on  shore  waved  us  god- 
speed, moved  slowly  down  the  bay  on  its  mission  to  avenge 
the  death  of  the  heroes  of  our  gallant  Maine  and  to  free 
suffering  Cuba. 

The  transports  were  scarcely  out  of  sight  of  land  when 
an  order  was  issued  by  our  Brigade  Commander  directing 
that  the  two  regiments  on  board  should  not  intermingle, 
and  actually  drawing  the  u  color  line"  by  assigning  the 
white  regiment  to  the  port  and  the  25th  Infantry  to  the 
starboard  side  of  the  vessel.  The  men  of  the  two  regi- 
ments were  on  the  best  of  terms,  both  having  served  together 
during  mining  troubles  in  Montana.  Still  greater  was  the 
surprise  of  everyone  when  another  order  was  issued  from 
the  same  source  directing  that  the  white  regiment  should 
make  coffee  first,  all  the  time,  and  detailing  a  guard  to  see 
that  the  order  was  carried  out.  All  of  these  things  were 
done  seemingly  to  humiliate  us  and  without  a  word  of  pro- 
test from  our  officers.  We  suffered  without  complaint. 
God  only  knows  how  it  was  we  lived  through  those  four- 
teen days  on  that  miserable  vessel.  We  lived  through 
those  days  and  were  fortunate  enough  not  to  have  a  burial  at 
sea. 

OPERATIONS   AGAINST  SANTIAGO. 

We  landed  in  Cuba  June  22,  1898.  Our  past  hardships 
were  soon  forgotten.  It  was  enough  to  stir  the  heart  of 
any  lover  of  liberty  to  witness  that  portion  of  Gomez's 
ragged  army,  under  command  of  General  Castillo,  lined  up 
to  welcome  us  to  their  beautiful  island,  and  to  guide  and 
guard  our  way  to  the  Spanish  strongholds.  To  call  it  a 


247 


249 

ragged  army  is  by  no  means  a  misnomer.  The  greater 
portion  of  those  poor  fellows  were  both  coatless  and  shoe- 
less, many  of  them  being  almost  nude.  They  were  by  no 
means  careful  about  their  uniform.  The  thing  every  one 
seemed  careful  about  was  his  munitions  of  war,  for  each 
man  had  his  gun,  ammunition  and  machette.  Be  it  remem- 
bered that  this  portion  of  the  Cuban  army  was  almost 
entirely  composed  of  black  Cubans. 

After  landing  we  halted  long  enough  to  ascertain  that 
all  the  men  of  the  regiment  were  "  present  or  accounted 
for,"  then  marched  into  the  jungle  of  Cuba,  following  an 
old  unused  trail.  General  Shafter's  orders  were  to  push 
forward  without  delay.  And  the  25th  Infantry  has  the 
honor  of  leading  the  march  from  the  landing  at  Baiquiri  or 
Daiquiry  (both  names  being  used  in  official  reports)  the 
first  day  the  army  of  invasion  entered  the  island.  I  do  not 
believe  any  newspaper  has  ever  published  this  fact. 

There  was  no  time  to  be  lost,  and  the  advance  of  the 
American  army  of  invasion  in  the  direction  of  Santiago, 
the  objective  point  was  rapid.  Bach  day,  as  one  regiment 
would  halt  for  a  rest  or  reach  a  suitable  camping  ground, 
another  would  pass.  In  this  manner  several  regiments  had 
succeeded  in  passing  the  25th  Infantry  by  the  morning  of 
June  24-th.  At  that  time  the  ist  Volunteer  Cavalry  (Rough 
Riders)  was  leading  the  march. 

THE   FIRST  BATTLE. 

On  the  morning  of  June  24th  the  Rough  Riders  struck 
camp  early,  and  were  marching  along  the  trail  at  a  rapid 
gait,  at  "route  step,"  in  any  order  suitable  to  the  size  of 


250 

the  road.  Having  marched  several  miles  through  a  well- 
wooded  country,  they  came  to  an  opening  near  where  the 
road  forked.  They  turned  into  the  left  fork ;  at  that  mo- 
ment, without  the  least  warning,  the  Cubans  leading  the 
march  having  passed  on  unmolested,  a  volley  from  the 
Spanish  behind  a  stone  fort  on  top  of  the  hill  on  both  sides 
of  the  road  was  fired  into  their  ranks.  They  were  at  first 
disconcerted,  but  rallied  at  once  and  began  firing  in  the 
direction  from  whence  cime  the  volleys.  They  could  not 
advance,  and  dared  not  retreat,  having  been  caught  in  a 
sunken  place  in  the  road,  with  a  barbed  wire  fence  on  one 
side  and  a  precipitous  hill  on  the  other.  They  held  their 
ground,  but  could  not  do  more.  The  Spanish  poured  vol- 
ley after  volley  into  their  ranks.  At  the  moment  when  it 
looked  as  if  the  whole  regiment  would  be  swept  down  by 
the  steel- jacketed  bullets  from  the  Mausers,  four  troops  of 
the  loth  U.  S.  Cavalry  (colored)  came  up  on  "double  time." 
Little  thought  the  Spaniards  that  these  "smoked  yankees" 
were  so  formidable.  Perhaps  they  thought  to  stop  those 
black  boys  by  their  relentless  fire,  but  those  boys  knew  no 
stop.  They  halted  for  a  second,  and  having  with  them  a 
Hotchkiss  gun  soon  knocked  down  the  Spanish  improvised 
fort,  cut  the  barbed-wire,  making  an  opening  for  the  Rough 
Riders,  started  the  charge,  and,  with  the  Rough  Riders, 
routed  the  Spaniards,  causing  them  to  retreat  in  disorder, 
leaving  their  dead  and  some  wounded  behind.  The  Span- 
iards made  a  stubborn  resistance.  So  hot  was  their  fire 
directed  at  the  men  at  the  Hotchkiss  gun  that  a  head  could 
not  be  raised,  and  men  crawled  on  their  stomachs  like  snakes 
loading  and  firing.  It  is  an  admitted  fact  that  the  Rough 


251 


253 

Riders  could  not  have  dislodged  the  Spanish  by  themselves 
without  great  loss,  if  at  all. 

The  names  of  Captain  A.  M.  Capron,  Jr.,  atd  Sergeant 
Hamilton  Fish,  Jr.,  of  the  Rough  Riders,  who  were  killed 
in  this  battle,  have  been  immortalized,  while  that  of  Cor- 
poral Brown,  loth  Cavalry,  who  manned  the  Hotchkiss 
gun  in  this  fight,  without  which  the  American  loss  in 
killed  and  wounded  would  no  doubt  have  been  counted  by 
hundreds,  and  who  was  killed  by  the  side  of  his  gun,  is 
unknown  by  the  public. 

At  the  time  the  battle  of  the  Rough  Riders  was  fought 
the  25th  Infantry  was  within  hearing  distance  of  the  bat- 
tle and  received  orders  to  reinforce  them,  which  they  could 
have  done  in  less  than  two  hours,  but  our  Brigade  Com- 
mander in  marching  to  the  scene  of  battle  took  the  wrong 
trair,  seemingly  on  purpose,  and  when  we  arrived  at  the 
place  of  battle  twilight  was  fading  into  darkness. 

The  march  in  the  direction  of  Santiago  continued,  until 
the  evening  of  June  3oth  found  us  bivouacked  in  the  road 
less  than  two  miles  from  El  Caney.  At  the  first  glimpse 
of  day  on  the  first  day  of  July  word  was  passed  along  the 
line  for  the  companies  to  "fall  in."  No  bugle  call  was 
sounded,  no  coffee  was  made,  no  noise  allowed.  We  were 
nearing  the  enemy,  and  every  effort  was  made  to  surprise 
him.  We  had  been  told  that  El  Caney  was  well  fortified, 
and  so  we  found  it. 

The  first  warning  the  people  had  of  a  foe  being  near  was 
the  roar  of  our  field  artillery  and  the  bursting  of  a  shell  in 
their  midst.  The  battle  was  on.  In  many  cases  an  invad- 
ing army  serves  notice  of  a  bombardment,  but  in  this  case 


254 

it  was  incompatable  with  military  strategy.  Non-coinbat- 
ants,  women  and  children  all  suffered,  for  to  have  warned 
them  so  they  might  have  escaped  would  also  have  given 
warning  to  the  Spanish  forces  of  our  approach.  The  bat- 
tle opened  at  dawn  and  lasted  until  dark.  When  our  troops 
reached  the  point  from  which  they  were  to  make  the  attack, 
the  Spanish  line  of  entrenched  soldiers  could  not  be  seen. 
The  only  thing  indicating  their  position  was  the  block- 
house situated  on  the  highest  point  of  a  very  steep  hill.  The 
undergrowth  was  so  dense  that  one  could  not  see,  on  a  line, 
more  than  fifty  yards  ahead.  The  Spaniards,  from  their 
advantageous  position  in  the  block-house  and  trenches  on 
the  hill  top,  had  located  the  American  forces  in  the  bushes 
and  opened  a  fusilade  upon  them.  The  Americans  replied 
with  great  vigor,  being  ordered  to  fire  at  the  block-house 
and  to  the  right  and  left  of  it,  steadily  advancing  as  they 
fired.  All  of  the  regiments  engaged  in  the  battle  of  El 
Caney  had  not  reached  their  positions  when  the  battle  was 
precipitated  by  the  artillery  firing  on  the  block-house.  The 
25th  Infantry  was  among  that  number.  In  marching  to  its 
position  some  companies  of  the  2nd  Massachusetts  Volun- 
teers were  met  retreating ;  they  were  completely  whipped, 
and  took  occasion  to  warn  us,  saying :  "  Boys,  there  is  no 
use  to  go  up  there,  you  cannot  see  a  thing  ;  they  are  slaugh- 
tering our  men !  "  Such  news  made  us  feel  "  shaky,'',  not 
having,  at  the  time,  been  initiated.  We  marched  up,  how- 
ever, in  order  and  were  under  fire  for  nine  hours.  Many 
barbed-wire  obstructions  were  encountered,  but  the  men 
never  faltered.  Finally,  late  in  the  afternoon,  our  brave 
Lieutenant  Kinnison  said  to  another  officer :  "  We  can- 


255 

not  take  the  trenches  without  charging  them."  Just  as  he- 
was  about  to  give  the  order  for  the  bugler  to  sound  "the 
charge  "  he  was  wounded  and  carried  to  the  rear.  The  men 
were  then  fighting  like  demons.  Without  a  word  of  com- 
mand, though  led  by  that  gallant  and  intrepid  Second 
.Lieutenant,  J.  A.  Moss,  25th  Infantry,  some  one  gave  a 
yell  and  the  25th  Infantry  was  off,  alone,  to  the  charge. 
The  4th  U.  S.  Infantry,  fighting  on  the  left,  halted  when 
those  dusky  heroes  made  the  dash  with  a  yell  which  would 
have  done  credit  to  a  Comanche  Indian.  No  one  knows 
who  started  the  charge ;  one  thing  is  certain,  at  the  time  it 
was  made  excitement  was  running  high ;  each  man  was  a 
captain  for  himself  and  fighting  accordingly.  Brigadier 
Generals,  Colonels,  Lieutenant-Colonel,  Majors,  etc.,  were 
not  needed  at  the  time  the  25th  Infantry  made  the  charge 
on  El  Caney,  and  those  officers  simply  watched  the  battle 
from  convenient  points,  as  Lieutenants  and  enlisted  men 
made  the  charge  alone.  It  has  been  reported  that  the  i2th 
U.  S.  Infantry  made  the  charge,  assisted  by  the  25th  In- 
fantry, but  it  is  a  recorded  fact  that  the  25th  Infantry 
fought  the  battle  alone,  the  i2th  Infantry  coming  up  after 
the  firing  had  nearly  ceased.  Private  T.  C.  Butler,  Com- 
pany H,  25th  Infantry,  was  the  first  man  to  enter  the  block- 
house at  El  Ciney,  and  took  possession  of  the  Spanish  flag 
for  his  regiment.  An  officer  of  the  i2th  Infantry  came  up 
while  Butler  was  in  the  house  and  ordered  him  to  give  up 
the  flag,  which  he  was  compelled  to  do,  but  not  until  he 
had  torn  a  piece  off  the  flag  to  substantiate  his  report  to 
his  Colonel  of  the  injustice  which  had  been  done  to  him. 
Thus  by  using  the  authority  given  him  by  his  shoulder- 


256 

straps,  this  officer  took  for  his  regiment  that  which  had 
been  won  by  the  hearts'  blood  of  some  of  the  bravest, 
though  black,  soldiers  of  Shafter's  army. 

The  charge  on  El  Caney  has  been  little  spoken  of,  but 
it  was  quite  as  great  a  show  of  bravery  as  the  famous  tak- 
ing of  San  Juan  Hill. 

A  word  more  in  regard  to  the  charge.  It  was  not  the 
glorious  run  from  the  edge  of  some  nearby  thicket  to  the 
top  of  a  small  hill,  as  many  may  imagine.  This  particular 
charge  was  a  tough,  hard  climb,  over  sharp,  rising  ground, 
which,  were  a  man  in  perfect  physical  strength  he  would 
climb  slowly.  Part  of  the  charge  was  made  over  soft,  plowed 
ground,  a  part  through  a  lot  of  prickly  pineapple  plants 
and  barbed  wire  entanglements.  It  was  slow,  hard  work, 
under  a  blazing  July  sun  and  a  perfect  hail-storn  of  bul- 
lets, which,  thanks  to  the  poor  marksmanship  of  the  Span- 
iards, "  went  high." 

It  has  been  generally  admitted  by  all  fair-minded  writers, 
that  the  colored  soldiers  saved  the  day  both  at  El  Caney 
and  San  Juan  Hill. 

Notwithstanding  their  heroic  services,  they  were  still  to 
be  subjected  in  many  cases,  to  more  hardships  than  their 
white  brother  in  arms.  When  the  flag  of  truce  was,  in  the 
afternoon  of  July  3d,  seen,  each  man  breathed  a  sigh  of 
relief;  for  the  strain  had  been  very  great  upon  us.  During 
the  next  eleven  days  men  worked  like  ants,  digging  trenches, 
for  they  had  learned  a  lesson  of  fighting  in  the  open  field. 
The  work  went  on  night  and  day.  The  25th  Infantry 
worked  harder  than  any  other  regiment,  for  as  soon  as  they 
would  finish  a  trench  they  were  ordered  to  move ;  in  this 
manner  they  were  kept  moving  and  digging  new  trenches 


257 

for  eleven  days.     The  trenches  left  were  each  time  occu- 
pied by  a  white  regiment. 

On  July  1 4th  it  was  decided  to  make  a  demonstration  in 
front  of  Santiago,  to  draw  the  fire  of  the  enemy  and  locate 
his  position.  Two  companies  of  colored  soldiers  (25th 
Infantry)  were  selected  for  this  purpose,  actually  deployed 
as  skirmishers  and  started  in  advance  General  Shafter, 
watching  the  movement  from  a  distant  hill,  saw  that  such 
a  movement  meant  to  sacrifice  those  men,  without  any  or 
much  good  resulting,  therefore  had  them  recalled.  Had 
the  movement  been  completed  it  is  probable  that  not  a  man 
would  have  escaped  death  or  serious  wounds.  When  the 
news  came  that  General  Toral  had  decided  to  surrender,  the 
25th  Infantry  was  a  thousand  yards  or  more  nearer  the  city 
of  Santiago  than  any  regiment  in  the  army,  having 
entrenched  themselves  along  the  railroad  leading  into  the 
city. 

The  following  enlisted  men  of  the  25th  Infantry  were 
commissoned  for  their  bravery  at  El  Caney :  First  Sergeant 
Andrew  J.  Smith,  First  Sergeant  Macon  Russell,  First  Ser- 
geant Wyatt  Huffman  and  Sergeant  Win.  McBryar.  Many 
more  were  recommended,  but  failed  to  receive  commissions. 
It  is  a  strange  incident  that  all  the  above-named  men  are 
native  North  Carolinians  but  First  Sergeant  Huffman,  who 
is  from  Tennessee. 

The  negro  played  a  most  important  part  in  the  Spanish- 
American  war.  He  was  the  first  to  move  from  the  west; 
firat  at  Camp  Thomas,  Chickamauga  Park,  Ga.;  first  in  the 
jungle  of  Cuba ;  among  the  first  killed  in  battle ;  first  in 
the  block-house  at  El  Caney,  and  nearest  to  the  enemy 
when  he  surrendered.  FRANK  W.  PULLEN,  JR., 

Ex-Sergeant-Major  2^th  U.  S.  Infantry. 

ENFIEU),  N.  C.,  March  23,  1899. 


258 

BUFFALO  TROOPERS,  THE  NAME  BY  WHICH  NEGRO  SOLDIERS 

ARE  KNOWN. 

They  Comprise  Several  of  the  Crack  Regiments  in  Our  Army — The  Indians  Stand 
in  Abject  Terror  of  them— Their  Awful  Yells  won  a  Battle  with  the  Redskins. 

"  It  is  not  necessary  to  revert  to  the  Civil  war  to  prove 
that  American  Negroes  are  faithful,  devoted  wearers  of 
uniforms,"  says  a  Washington  man,  who  has  seen  service 
in  both  the  army  and  the  navy.  "  There  are  at  the  present 
time  four  regiments  of  Negro  soldiers  in  the  regular  army 
of  the  United  States — two  outfits  of  cavalry  and  two  of 
infantry.  All  four  of  these  regiments  have  been  under  fire 
in  important  Indian  campaigns,  and  there  is  yet  to  be 
recorded  a  single  instance  of  a  man  in  any  of  the  four  lay- 
outs showing  the  white  feather,  and  the  two  cavalry  regi- 
ments of  Negroes  have,  on  several  occasions,  found  them- 
selves in  very  serious  situations.  While  the  fact  is  well 
known  out  on  the  frontier,  I  don't  remember  ever  having 
seen  it  mentioned  back  here  that  an  American  Indian  has 
a  deadly  fear  of  an  American  Negro.  The  most  utterly 
reckless,  dare-devil  savage  of  the  copper  hue  stands  liter- 
ally in  awe  of  a  Negro,  and  the  blacker  the  Negro  the  more 
the  Indian  quails.  I  can't  understand  why  this  should  be, 
for  the  Indians  decline  to  give  their  reasons  for  fearing  the 
black  men  but  the  fact  remains  that  even  a  very  bad  In- 
dian will  give  the  mildest-mannered  Negro  imaginable  all 
the  room  he  wants,  and  to  spare,  as  any  old  regular  army 
soldier  who  has  frontiered  will  tell  you.  The  Indians,  I 
fancy,  attribute  uncanny  and  eerie  qualities  to  the  blacks. 
"  The  cavalry  troop  to  which  I  belonged  soldiered  along- 
side a  couple  of  troops  of  the  Qth  Cavalry,  a  black  regi- 


259 

ment,  up  in  the  Sioux  country  eight  or  nine  years  ago. 
We  were  performing  chain  guard,  hemming-in  duty,  and  it 
was  our  chief  business  to  prevent  the  savages  from  straying 
from  the  reservation.  We  weren't  under  instructions  to 
riddle  them  if  they  attempted  to  pass  our  guard  posts,  but 
were  authorized  to  tickle  them  up  to  any  reasonable  ex- 
tent, short  of  maiming  them,  with  our  bayonets,  if  any  of 
them  attempted  to  bluff  past  us.  Well,  the  men  of  my 
troop  had  all  colors  of  trouble  while  on  guard  in  holding 
the  savages  in.  The  Ogalallas  would  hardly  pay  any  atten- 
tion to  the  white  sentries  of  the  chain  guard,  and  when 
they  wanted  to  pass  beyond  the  guard  limits  they  would 
invariably  pick  out  a  spot  for  passage  that  was  patrolled  by 
a  white  '  post-humper.'  But  the  guards  of  the  two  black 
troops  didn't  have  a  single  run-in  with  the  savages.  The 
Indians  made  it  a  point  to  remain  strictly  away  from  the 
Negro  soldiers'  guard  posts.  Moreover,  the  black  soldiers 
got  ten  times  as  much  obedience  from  the  Indians  loafing 
around  the  tepees  and  wickleups  as  did  we  of  the  white 
outfit.  The  Indians  would  fairly  jump  to  obey  the  uni- 
formed Negroes.  I  remember  seeing  a  black  sergeant 
make  a  minor  chief  go  down  to  the  creek  to  get  a  pail  of 
water — an  unheard  of  thing,  for  the  chiefs,  and  even  the 
ordinary  bucks  among  the  Sioux  always  make  their  squaws 
perform  this  sort  of  work.  This  chief  was  sunning  him- 
self, reclining,  beside  his  tepee,  when  his  squaw  started 
with  the  bucket  for  the  creek,  some  distance  away.  The 
Negro  sergeant  saw  the  move.  He  walked  up  to  the  lazy, 
grunting  savage. 

"'Look  a-yeah,  yo'  spraddle-nozed,  yalluh  voodoo  nig- 


guh,'  said  the  black  sergeant — he  was  as  black  as  a  stove- 
pipe— to  the  blinking  chief,  '  jes'  shake  yo'  no  count  bones 
an'  tote  dat  wattuh  yo'se'f.  Yo'  ain'  no  bettuh  to  pack 
wattuh  dan  Ah  am,  yo'  heah  me.' 

"The  heap-much  Indian  chief  didn't  understand  a  word 
of  what  the  Negro  sergeant  said  to  him,  but  he  understands 
pantomine  all  right,  and  when  the  black  man  in  uniform 
grabbed  the  pail  out  of  the  squaw's  hand  and  thrust  it  into 
the  dirty  paw  of  the  chief  the  chief  went  after  that  bucket 
of  water,  and  he  went  a  loping,  too. 

"  The  Sioux  will  hand  down  to  their  children's  children 
the  story  of  a  charge  that  a  couple  of  Negro  cavalry  troops 
made  during  the  Pine  Ridge  troubles.  It  was  of  the  height 
of  the  fracas,  and  the  bad  Indians  were  regularly  lined  up 
for  battle.  Those  two  black  troops  were  ordered  to  make 
the  initial  swoop  upon  them.  You  know  the  noise  one 
black  man  can  make  when  he  gets  right  down  to  the  busi- 
ness of  yelling.  Well,  these  two  troops  of  blacks  started 
their  terrific  whoop  in  union  when  they  were  a  mile  away 
from  the  waiting  Sioux,  and  they  got  warmed  up  and  in 
better  practice  with  every  jump  their  horses  made.  I  give 
you  my  solemn  word  that  in  the  ears  of  us  of  the  white 
outfit,  stationed  three  miles  away,  the  yelps  those  two  Negro 
troops  of  cavalry  gave  sounded  like  the  carnival  whooping 
of  ten  thousand  devils.  The  Sioux  weren't  scared  a  little 
bit  by  the  approaching  clouds  of  alkali  dust,  but  all  the 
same,  when  the  two  bla^k  troops  were  more  than  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  away  the  Indians  broke  and  ran  as  if  the  old  boy 
himself  were  after  them,  and  it  was  then  an  easy  matter  to 
round  them  up  and  disarm  them.  The  chiefs  afterward 


262 


263 

confessed  that  they  were  scared  out  by  the  awful  howling 
of  the  black  soldiers. 

"  Ever  since  the  war  the  United  States  navy  has  had  a 
fair  representation  of  Negro  bluejackets,  and  they  make 
first-class  naval  tars.  There  is  not  a  ship  in  the  navy  to-day 
that  hasn't  from  six  to  a  dozen,  anyhow  of  Negroes  on  its 
muster  rolls.  The  Negro  sailors'  names  very  rarely  get 
enrolled  on  the  bad  conduct  lists.  They  are  obedient,  sober 
men  and  good  seamen.  There  are  many  petty  officers 
among  them." — The  Planet. 


THE  CHARGE  OF  THE  "NIGGER  NINTH"  ON  SAN  JUAN  HILL. 

BY  GEORGE   E.    POWELL. 

Hark  !  O'er  the  drowsy  trooper's  dream, 
There  comes  a  martial  metal's  scream, 

That  startles  one  and  all ! 
It  is  the  word,  to  wake,  to  die ! 
To  hear  the  foeman's  fierce  defy ! 
To  fling  the  column's  battle-cry  ! 

The  "  boots  and  saddles  "  call. 

The  shimmering  steel,  the  glow  or  morn, 
The  rally-call  of  battle  horn, 
Proclaim  a  day  of  carnage,  boin 

For  better  or  for  ill. 
Above  the  pictured  tentage  white, 
Above  the  weapons  glinting  bright, 
The  day  god  casts  a  golden  light 

Across  the  San  Juan  Hill. 


264 

**  Forward  ! "   "  Forward !  "  comes  the  cry, 
As  stalwart  columns,  ambling  by, 
Stride  over  graves  that,  waiting,  lie 

Undug  in  mother  earth! 
Their  goal,  the  flag  of  fierce  Castile 
Above  her  serried  ranks  of  steel, 
Insensate  to  the  cannon's  peal 

That  gives  the  battle  birth  ! 

As  brawn  as  black — a  fearless  foe ; 
Crave,  grim  and  grand,  they  onward  go. 

To  conquer  or  to  die ! 
The  rule  of  right ;  the  march  of  might ; 
A  dusky  host  from  darker  night, 
Responsive  to  the  morning  light, 

To  work  the  martial  will ! 
And  o'er  the  trench  and  trembling  earth, 
The  morn  that  gives  the  battle  birth 

Is  on  the  San  Juan  Hill ! 

Hark  !  sounds  again  the  bugle  call ! 
Ivet  ring  the  rifles  over  all, 
To  shriek  above  the  battle-pall 

The  war-god:s  jubilee ! 
Their's  were  bondmen,  low,  and  long ; 
Their's,  once  weak  against  the  strong ; 
Their's  to  strike  and  stay  the  wrong, 

That  strangers  might  be  free ! 

And  on,  and  on,  for  weal  or  woe, 
"The  tawny  faces  grimmer  go, 


That  bade  no  mercy  to  a  foe 

That  pitties  but  to  kill. 

uClose  up  !  "  "  Close  up  !  "  is  heard  and  said, 
And  yet  the  rain  of  steel  and  lead 
Still  leaves  a  livid  trail  of  red 

Upon  the  San  Juan  Hill ! 

"  Charge  !  "   "  Charge  !  "  The  bugle  peals  again  ; 
'Tis  life  or  death  for  Roosevelt's  men  ! — 

The  Mausers  make  reply  ! 
Aye  !  speechless  are  those  swarthy  sons, 
Save  for  the  clamor  of  the  guns — 

Their  only  battle-cry  ! 
The  lowly  stain  upon  each  face, 
The  taunt  still  fresh  of  prouder  race, 
But  speeds  the  step  that  springs  a  pace, 

To  succor  or  to  die ! 

With  rifles  hot — to  waist-band  nude  ; 
The  brawn  beside  the  pampered  dude ; 
The  cowboy  king — one  grave — and  rude — 

To  shelter  him  who  falls  ! 
One  breast — and  bare, — howe'er  begot, 
The  low,  the  high — one  common  lot ; 
The  world's  distinction  all  forgot 

When  freedom's  bugle  calls ! 

No  faltering  step,  no  fitful  start ; 
None  seeking  less  than  all  his  part ; 
One  watchword  springing  from  each  heart, — 
Yet  on,  and  onward  still ! 


266 

The  sullen  sound  of  tramp  and  tread  ; 
Abe  Lincoln's  flag  still  overhead  ; 
They  followed  where  the  angels  led 
The  way,  up  San  Juan  Hill ! 

And  where  the  life  stream  ebbs  and  flows, 
And  stains  the  track  of  trenchant  blows 

That  met  no  meaner  steel, 
The  bated  breath — the  battle  yell — 
The  turf  in  slippery  crimson,  tell 
Where  Castile's  proudest  colors  fell 

With  wounds  that  never  heal ! 

Where  every  trooper  found  a  wreath 
Of  glory  for  his  sabre  sheath  ; 

And  earned  the  laurels  well ; 
With  feet  to  field  and  face  to  foe, 
In  lines  of  battle  lying  low, 

The  sable  soldiers  fell ! 

And  where  the  black  and  brawny  breast 
Gave  up  its  all — life's  richest,  best, 
To  find  the  tomb's  eternal  rest 

A  dream  of  freedom  still ! 
A  groundless  creed  was  swept  away, 
With  brand  of  "coward" — a  time-worn  say- 
And  he  blazed  the  path  a  better  way 

Up  the  side  of  San  Juan  Hill ! 
For  black  or  white,  on  the  scroll  of  fame, 
The  blood  of  the  hero  dies  the  same ; 

And  ever,  ever  will ! 
******** 


267 

Sleep,  trooper,  sleep ;  thy  sable  brow, 
Amid  the  living  laurel  now, 

Is  wound  in  wreaths  of  fame  ! 
Nor  need  the  graven  granite  stone, 
To  tell  of  garlands  all  thine  own — 

To  hold  a  soldier's  name  ! 


[In  the  city  of  New  Orleans,  in  1866,  two  thousand  two  hundred  and 
sixty-six  ex-slaves  were  recruited  for  the  service.  None  but  the  argest 
and  blackest  Negroes  were  accepted.  From  these  were  formed  the 
Twenty-fourth  and  Twenty-fifth  Infantry  and  the  Ninth  and  Tenth  Cav- 
alry. All  four  are  famous  fighting  regiments,  yet  the  two  cavalry  com- 
mands have  earned  the  proudest  distinction.  While  the  record  of  the 
Ninth  Cavalry,  better  known  as  the  "Nigger  Ninth,"  in  its  thirty-two 
years  of  service  in  the  Indian  wars,  in  the  military  history  of  the  border, 
stands  without  a  peer;  and  is,  without  exception,  the  most  famous  fight- 
ing regiment  in  the  United  States  service.]  AUTHOR. 


CHAPTER    IY. 


COLONEL  THEODORE  B.  ROOSEVELT,  NOW  GOVERNOR  OF  NEW 

YORK,  WHO  LED  THE  ROUGH  RIDERS,  TELLS  OF 

THE  BRAVERY  OF  NEGRO  SOLDIERS. 

When  Colonel  Theodore  Roosevelt  returned  from  the 
command  of  the  famous  Rough  Riders  he  delivered  a  fare- 
well address  to  his  men,  in  which  he  made  the  following 
kind  reference  to  the  gallant  Negro  soldiers : 

u  Now,  I  want  to  say  just  a  word  more  to  some  of  the 
men  I  see  standing  around  not  of  your  number.  I  refer  to 
the  colored  regiments,  who  occupied  the  right  and  left 
flanks  of  us  at  Guasimas,  the  Ninth  and  Tenth  Cavalry 
regiments.  The  Spaniards  called  them  'Smoked  Yankees,' 
but  we  found  them  to  be  an  exceellent  breed  of  Yankees. 
I  am  sure  that  I  speak  the  sentiments  of  officers  and  men 
in  the  assemblage  when  I  say  that  between  you  and  the 
other  cavalry  regiments  there  exists  a  tie  which  we  trust 
will  never  be  broken." — Colored  American. 


The  foregoing  compliments  to  the  Negro  soldiers  by 
Colonel  Roosevelt  started  up  an  avalanche  of  additional 
praise  for  them,  out  of  which  the  fact  came,  that  but  for 
the  Ninth  and  Tenth  Cavalry  (colored)  coming  up  at  Las 
Guasimas,  destroying  the  Spanish  block  house  and  driving 
the  Spaniards  off,  when  Roosevelt  and  his  men  had  been 
caught  in  a  trap,  with  a  barbed  wire  fence  on  one  side  and 


CORONET,  THEODORE  B.  ROOSEVELT. 


269 


271 

a  precipice  on  the  other,  not  only  the  brave  Capron  and 
Fish,  but  the  whole  of  his  command  would  have  been  an- 
nihilated by  the  Spanish  sharp-shooters,  who  were  firing 
with  smokeless  powder  under  cover,  and  picking  off  the 
Rough  Riders  one  by  one,  who  could  not  see  the  Spaniards. 
To  break  the  force  of  this  unfavorable  comment  on  the 
Rough  Riders,  it  is  claimed  that  Colonel  Roosevelt  made 
the  following  criticism  of  the  colored  soldiers  in  general, 
and  of  a  few  of  them  in  particular,  in  an  article  written  by 
him  for  the  April  Scribner ;  and  a  letter  replying  to  the 
Colonel's  strictures  follows  by  Sergeant  Holliday,  who  was 
an  "  eye-witness  "  to  the  incident : 

Colonel  Roosevelt's  criticism  was,  in  substance,  that  col- 
ored soldiers  were  of  no  avail  without  white  officers  ;  that 
when  the  white  commissioned  officers  are  killed  or  disabled, 
colored  non-commissioned  officers  could  not  be  depended 
upon  to  keep  up  a  charge  already  begun  ;  that  about  a  score 
of  colored  infantrymen,  who  had  drifted  into  his  command, 
weakened  on  the  hill  at  San  Juan  under  the  galling  Span- 
ish fire,  and  started  to  the  rear,  stating  that  they  intended 
finding  their  regiments,  or  to  assist  the  wounded ;  where- 
upon he  drew  his  revolver  and  ordered  them  to  return  to 
ranks  and  there  remain,  and  that  he  would  shoot  the  first 
man  who  didn't  obey  him;  and  that  after  that  he  had  no 
further  trouble. 

Colonel  Roosevelt  is  sufficiently  answered  in  the  follow- 
ing letter  by  Sergeant  Holliday,  and  the  point  especially 
made  by  many  eye  witnesses  (white)  who  were  engaged  in 
that  fight  is,  as  related  in  Chapter  V,  of  this  book,  that  the 
Negro  troops  made  the  charges  both  at  San  Juan  and  El 


272 

Caney  after  nearly  all  their  officers  had  been  killed  or 
wounded.  Upon  what  facts,  therefore,  does  Colonel  Roose- 
velt base  his  conclusions  that  Negro  soldiers  will  not  fight 
without  commissioned  officers,  when  the  only  real  test  of 
this  question  happened  around  Santiago  and  showed  just 
the  contrary  of  what  he  states?  We  prefer  to  take  the  re- 
sults at  El  Caney  and  San  Juan  as  against  Colonel  Roose- 
velt's imagination. 


COLONEL  ROOSEVELT'S  ERROR. 

True  Story  of  the  Incident  He  Magnified  to  our  Hurt— The  White  Officers' 
Humbug  Skinned  of  its  Hide  by  Sergeant  Holiiday — Unwritten  History. 

To  the  Editor  of  the  New  York  Age  : 

Having  read  in  The  Age  of  April  13  an  editorial  enti- 
tled (<Our  Troops  in  Cuba,"  which  brings  to  my  notice  for 
the  first  time  a  statement  made  by  Colonel  Roosevelt, 
which,  though  in  some  parts  true,  if  read  by  those  who  do 
not  know  the  exact  facts  and  circumstances  surrounding 
the  case,  will  certainly  give  rise  to  the  wrong  impression 
of  colored  men  as  soldiers,  and  hurt  them  for  many  a  day 
to  come,  and  as  I  was  an  eye-witness  to  the  most  important 
incidents  mentioned  in  that  statement,  I  deem  it  a  duty  I 
owe,  not  only  to  the  fathers,  mothers,  sisters  and  brothers  of 
those  soldiers,  and  to  the  soldiers  themselves,  but  to  their 
posterity  and  the  race  in  general,  to  be  always  ready  to 
make  an  unprejudiced  refutation  of  such  charges,  and  to  do 
all  in  my  power  to  place  the  colored  soldier  where  he  prop- 
erly belongs — among  the  bravest  and  most  trustworthy  of 
this  land. 


273 

In  the  beginning,  I  wish  to  say  that  from  what  I  saw  of 
Colonel  Roosevelt  in  Cuba,  and  the  impression  his  frank 
countenance  made  upon  me,  I  cannot  believe  that  he  made 
that  statement  maliciously.  I  believe  the  Colonel  thought 
he  spoke  the  exact  truth.  But  did  he  know,  that  of  the 
tour  officers  connected  with  two  certain  troops  of  the  Tenth 
Cavalry  one  was  killed  and  three  were  so  seriously  wounded 
as  to  cause  them  to  be  carried  from  the  field,  and  the  com- 
mand of  these  two  troops  fell  to  the  first  sergeants,  who  led 
them  triumphantly  to  the  front  ?  Does  he  know  that  both 
at  Las  Guasimas  and  San  Juan  Hill  the  greater  part  of  troop 
B,  of  the  Tenth  Cavalry,  was  separated  from  its  command- 
ing officer  by  accidents  of  battle  and  was  led  to  the  front 
by  its  first  sergeant  ? 

When  we  reached  the  enemy's  works  on  San  Juan  Hill 
our  organizations  were  very  badly  mixed,  few  company 
commanders  having  their  whole  companies  or  none  of  some 
body  else's  company.  As  it  was,  Capt.  Watson,  my  troop 
commander,  reached  the  crest  of  the  hill  with  about  eight 
or  ten  men  of  his  troop,  all  the  rest  having  been  acci- 
dentally separated  from  him  by  the  thick  underbrush  dur- 
ing the  advance,  and  being  at  that  time,  as  was  subse- 
quently shown  to  be  the  firing  line  under  some  one  else 
pushing  to  the  front.  We  kept  up  the  forward  movement, 
and  finally  halted  on  the  heights  overlooking  Santiago, 
where  Colonel  Roosevelt,  with  a  very  thin  line  had  pre- 
ceeded  us,  and  was  holding  the  hill.  Here  Captain  Watson 
told  us  to  remain  while  he  went  to  another  part  of  the  line 
to  look  for  the  rest  of  his  troop.  He  did  not  come  to  that 
part  of  the  field  again. 


274 

The  Colonel  made  a  slight  error  when  he  said  his  mixed 
command  contained  some  colored  infantry.  All  the  col- 
ored troops  in  that  command  were  cavalrymen-  His  com- 
mand consisted  mostly  of  Rough  Riders,  with  an  aggregate 
of  about  one  troop  of  the  Tenth  Cavalry,  a  few  of  the 
Ninth  and  a  few  of  the  First  Regular  Cavalry,  with  a  half 
dozen  officers.  Every  few  minutes  brought  men  from  the 
rear,  everybody  seeming  to  be  anxious  to  get  to  the  firing 
line.  For  a  while  we  kept  up  a  desultory  fire,  but  as  we 
could  not  locate  the  enemy  (he  all  the  time  keeping  up  a 
hot  fire  on  our  position),  we  became  disgusted,  and  lay  down 
and  kept  silent.  Private  Marshall  was  here  seriously 
wounded  while  standing  in  plain  view  of  the  enemy,  trying 
to  point  them  out  to  his  comrades. 

There  were  frequent  calls  for  men  to  carry  the  wounded 
to  the  rear,  to  go  for  ammunition,  and  as  night  came  on,  to 
go  for  rations  and  entrenching  tools.  A  few  colored  sol- 
diers volunteered,  as  did  some  from  the  Rough  Riders.  It 
then  happened  that  two  men  of  the  Tenth  were  ordered  to 
the  rear  by  Lieutenant  Fleming,  Tenth  Cavalry,  who  was 
then  present  with  a  part  of  his  troop,  for  the  purpose  of 
bringing  either  rations  or  entrenching  tools,  and  Colonel 
Roosevelt  seeing  so  many  men  going  to  the  rear,  shouted 
to  them  to  come  back,  jumped  up  and  drew  his  revolver, 
and  told  the  men  of  the  Tenth  that  he  would  shoot  the 
first  man  who  attempted  to  shirk  duty  by  going  to  the  rear, 
that  he  had  orders  to  hold  that  line  and  he  would  do  so  if 
he  had  to  shoot  every  man  there  to  do  it.  His  own  men 
immediately  informed  him  that  "you  won't  have  to  shoot 
those  men,  Colonel.  We  know  those  boys."  He  was  also 


275 

assured  by  Lieutenant  Fleming,  of  the  Tenth,  that  he  would 
have  no  trouble  in  keeping  them  there,  and  some  of  our  men 
shouted,  in  which  I  joined,  that  "  we  will  stay  with  you, 
Colonel."  Everyone  who  saw  the  incident  knew  the  Col- 
onel was  mistaken  about  our  men  trying  to  shirk  duty,  but 
well  knew  that  he  could  not  admit  of  any  heavy  detail 
from  his  command,  so  no  one  thought  ill  of  the  matter. 
Inasmuch  as  the  Colonel  came  to  the  line  of  the  Tenth  the 
next  day  and  told  the  men  of  his  threat  to  shoot  some  of 
their  members  and,  as  he  expressed  it,  he  had  seen  his  mis- 
take and  found  them  to  be  far  different  men  from  what  he 
supposed.  I  thought  he  was  sufficiently  conscious  of  his 
error  not  to  make  a  so  ungrateful  statement  about  us  at  a 
time  when  the  Nation  is  about  to  forget  our  past  service. 

Had  the  Colonel  desired  to  note  the  fact,  he  would  have 
seen  that  when  orders  came  the  next  day  to  relieve  the  de- 
tachment of  the  Tenth  from  that  part  of  the  field,  he  com- 
manded just  as  many  colored  men  at  that  time  as  he  com- 
manded at  any  other  time  during  the  twenty-four  hours  we 
were  under  his  command,  although  colored  as  well  as  white 
soldiers  were  going  and  coming  all  day,  and  they  knew 
perfectly  well  where  the  Tenth  Cavalry  was  posted,  and 
that  it  was  on  a  line  about  four  hundred  yards  further  from 
the  enemy  than  Colonel  Roosevelt's  line.  Still  when  they 
obtained  permission  to  go  to  the  rear,  they  almost  invaria- 
bly came  back  to  the  same  position.  Two  men  of  my 
troop  were  wounded  while  at  the  rear  for  water  and  taken 
to  the  hospital  and,  of  course  could  not  come  back. 

Our  men  always  made  it  a  rule  to  join  the  nearest  com- 
mand when  separated  from  our  own,  and  those  who  had 


276 

been  so  unfortunate  as  to  lose  their  way  altogether  were 
both  colored  and  white,  straggling  up  from  the  time  the 
line  was  established  until  far  into  the  night,  showing  their 
determination  to  reach  the  front. 

In  explaining  the  desire  of  our  men  in  going  back  to 
look  for  their  comrades  it  should  be  stated  that,  from  the 
contour  of  the  ground,  the  Rough  Riders  were  so  much  in 
advance  of  the  Tenth  Cavalry  that,  to  reach  the  latter  regi- 
ment from  the  former,  one  had  really  to  go  straight  to  the 
rear  and  then  turn  sharply  to  the  right ;  and  further,  it  is  a 
well  known  fact  that  in  this  country  most  persons  of  color 
feel  out  of  place  when  they  are  by  force  compelled  to  min- 
gle with  white  persons,  especially  strangers,  and  although 
we  knew  we  were  doing  our  duty,  and  would  be  treated 
well  as  long  as  we  stood  to  the  front  and  fought,  unfortu- 
nately some  of  our  men  (and  these  were  all  recruits  with 
less  than  six  months'  service)  felt  so  much  out  of  place  that 
when  the  firing  lulled,  often  showed  their  desire  to  be  with 
their  commands.  None  of  our  older  men  did  this.  We 
knew  perfectly  well  that  we  could  give  as  mnch  assistance 
there  as  anywhere  else,  and  that  it  was  our  duty  to  remain 
until  relieved.  And  we  did.  White  soldiers  do  not,  as  a 
rule,  share  this  feeling  with  colored  soldiers.  The  fact 
that  a  white  man  knows  how  well  he  can  make  a  place  for 
himself  among  colored  people  need  not  be  discussed  here. 

I  remember  an  incident  of  a  recruit  of  my  troop,  with 
less  than  two  months'  service,  who  had  come  up  to  our 
position  during  the  evening  of  the  ist,  having  been  sepa- 
rated from  the  troop  during  the  attack  on  San  Juan  Hill. 
The  next  morning,  before  the  firing  began,  having  seen  an 


277 

officer  of  the  Tenth,  who  had  been  sent  to  Colonel  Roose- 
velt with  a  message,  returning  to  the  regiment,  he  signified 
his  intention  of  going  back  with  him,  saying  he  could  thus 
find  the  regiment.  I  remonstrated  with  him  without  avail 
and  was  only  able  to  keep  him  from  going  by  informing 
him  of  the  Colonel's  threat  of  the  day  before.  There  was 
no  desire  on  the  part  of  this  soldier  to  shirk  duty.  He 
simply  did  not  know  that  he  should  not  leave  any  part  of 
the  firing  line  without  orders.  Later,  while  lying  in  reserve 
behind  the  firing  line,  I  had  to  use  as  much  persuasion  to 
keep  him  from  firing  over  the  heads  of  his  enemies  as  I  had 
to  keep  him  with  us.  He  remained  with  us  until  he  was 
shot  in  the  shoulder  and  had  to  be  sent  to  the  rear. 

I  could  give  many  other  incidents  of  our  men's  devotion 
to  duty,  of  their  determination  to  stay  until  the  death,  but 
what's  the  use  ?  Colonel  Roosevelt  has  said  they  shirked, 
and  the  reading  public  will  take  the  Colonel  at  his  word 
and  go  on  thinking  they  shirked.  His  statement  was  un- 
called for  and  uncharitable,  and  considering  the  moral  and 
physical  effect  the  advance  of  the  Tenth  Cavalry  had  in 
weakening  the  forces  opposed  to  the  Colonel's  regiment, 
both  at  Las  Guasimas  and  San  Juan  Hill,  altogether  ungrate- 
ful, and  has  done  us  an  immeasurable  lot  of  harm. 

And  further,  as  to  lack  of  qualifications  for  command,  I 
will  say  that  when  our  soldiers,  who  can  and  will  write 
history,  sever  their  connections  with  the  Regular  Army, 
and  thus  release  themselves  from  their  voluntary  status  of 
military  lockjaw,  and  tell  what  they  saw,  those  who  now 
preach  that  the  Negro  is  not  fit  to  exercise  command  over 
troops,  and  will  go  no  further  than  he  is  led  by  white  offi- 


278 

cers,  will  see  in  print  held  up  for  public  gaze,  much  to  their 
chagrin,  tales  of  those  Cuban  battles  that  have  never  been 
told  outside  the  tent  and  barrack  room — tales  that  it  will 
not  be  agreeable  for  some  of  them  to  hear.  The  public 
will  then  learn  that  not  every  troop  or  company  of  colored 
soldiers  who  took  part  in  the  assaults  on  San  Juan  Hill  or 
El  Caney  was  led  or  urged  forward  by  its  white  officer. 

It  is  unfortunate  that  we  had  no  colored  officers  in  that 
campaign,  and  this  thing  of  white  officers  for  colored  troops 
is  exasperating,  and  I  join  with  The  Age  in  saying  our 
motto  for  the  future  must  be :  "  No  officers,  no  soldiers." 

PRESLEY  HOUJDAY, 
Sergeant  Troop  B,  Tenth  Cavalry. 

Fort  Ringgold,  Texas,  April  22,  1899. 


JACOB  A.  RIIS,  in  The  Outlook,  gives  the  following  inter- 
esting reading  concerning  the  colored  troopers  in  an  article 
entitled  "Roosevelt  and  His  Men : " 

"  It  was  one  of  the  unexpected  things  in  this  campaign 
that  seems  destined  to  set  so  many  things  right  that  out  of 
it  should  come  the  appreciation  of  the  colored  soldier  as 
man  and  brother  by  those  even  who  so  lately  fought  to 
keep  him  a  chattel.  It  fell  to  the  lot  of  General  'Joe7 
Wheeler,  the  old  Confederate  warrior,  to  command  the  two 
regiments  of  colored  troops,  the  Ninth  and  Tenth  Cavalry, 
and  no  one  will  bear  readier  testimony  than  he  to  the  splen- 
did record  they  made.  Of  their  patience  under  the  mani- 
fold hardships  of  roughing  it  in  the  tropics,  their  helpful- 
ness in  the  camp  and  their  prowess  in  battle,  their  uncom- 


280 


GENERAL,  NELSON   A.  MILES. 


28l 

plaining  suffering  when  lying  wounded  and  helpless.  Stories 
enough  are  told  to  win  for  them  fairly  the  real  brotherhood 
with  their  white-skinned  fellows  which  they  crave.  The 
most  touching  of  the  many  I  heard  was  that  of  a  Negro 
trooper,  who,  struck  by  a  bullet  that  cut  an  artery  in  his 
neck,  was  lying  helpless,  in  danger  of  bleeding  to  death, 
when  a  Rough  Rider  came  to  his  assistance.  There  was 
only  one  thing  to  be  done — to  stop  the  bleeding  till  a  sur- 
geon came.  A  tourniquet  could  not  be  applied  where  the 
wound  was.  The  Rough  Rider  put  his  thumb  on  the  artery 
and  held  it  there  while  he  waited.  The  fighting  drifted 
away  over  the  hill.  He  followed  his  comrade  with  long- 
ing eyes  till  the  last  was  lost  to  sight.  His  place  was  there, 
but  if  he  abandoned  the  wounded  cavalryman  it  was  to  let 
him  die.  He  dropped  his  gun  and  stayed.  Not  until  the 
battle  was  won  did  the  surgeon  come  that  way,  but  the 
trooper's  life  was  saved.  He  told  of  it  in  the  hospital  with 
tears  in  his  voice :  '  He  done  that  to  me,  he  did  ;  stayed  by 
me  an  hour  and  a  half,  and  me  only  a  nigger.' " 


GENERAL  NELSON  A.  MILES  PAYS  A  TRIBUTE  TO  THE  NEGRO 

SOLDIERS. 

Major- General  Nelson  A.  Miles,  Commander-in-Chief  of 
the  army  of  the  United  States  spoke  at  the  Peace  Jubilee 
at  Chicago,  October  nth,  and  said: 

"  While  the  chivalry  of  the  South  and  the  yeomanry  of 
the  North  vied  with  their  devotion  to  the  cause  of  their 
country  and  in  their  pride  of  its  flag  which  floated  over  all, 
it's  a  glorious  fact  that  patriotism  was  not  confined  to  any 


282 

one  section  or  race  for  the  sacrifice,  bravery  and  fortitude. 
The  white  race  was  accompanied  by  the  gallantry  of  the 
black  as  they  swept  over  entrenched  lines  and  later  volun- 
teered to  succor  the  sick,  nurse  the  dying  and  bury  the 
dead  in  the  hospitals  and  the  Cuban  camps." 

This  was  grandly  spoken,  and  we  feel  gratified  at  this 
recognition  of  the  valor  of  one  of  the  best  races  of  people 
the  world  has  ever  seen. 

We  are  coming,  boys ;  it's  a  little  slow  and  tiresome,  but 
we  are  coming  without  a  parallel." — Colored  American. 

At  a  social  reunion  of  the  Medal  of  Honor  L,egion  held 
a  few  evenings  since  to  welcome  home  two  of  their  mem- 
bers, General  Nelson  A.  Miles,  commanding  the  army  of 
the  United  States,  and  Colonel  M.  Bmmett  Urell,  of  the 
First  District  Columbia  Volunteers,  in  the  course  of  his 
remarks,  General  Miles  paid  the  finest  possible  tribute  to 
the  splendid  heroism  and  soldierly  qualities  evidenced  by 
the  men  of  the  9th  and  loth  Cavalry,  and  24th  and  25th 
United  States  Infantry  in  the  late  Santiago  campaign, 
which  he  epitomized  as  "  without  a  parallel  in  the  history 
of  the  world. " 

At  the  close  of  his  remarks,  Major  C.  A.  Fleet  wood,  the 
only  representative  of  the  race  present,  in  behalf  of  the 
race  extended  their  heartfelt  and  warmest  thanks  for  such 
a  magnificent  tribute  from  such  a  magnificent  soldier  and 
man. —  Colored  Ameican. 


SERGEANT  BERRY. 

The  first  soldier  who  reached  the  Block  House 
on  San  Juan  Hill  and  Hoisted  the  American  flag 
in  a  hail  of  Spanish  bullets. 


284 


CLEVELAND  MOFFITT,  IN  LESLIE'S  WEEKLY,  DESCRIBES  THE 
HEROISM  OF  A  "BLACK  COLOR  BEARER." 

"Having  praised  our  war  leaders  sufficiently,  in  some 
cases  more  than  sufficiently  (witness  Hobson),  let  us  give 
honor  to  some  of  the  humbler  ones,  who  fought  obscurely, 
but  did  fine  things  nevertheless. 

"There  was  Sergeant  Berry,  for  instance,  of  the  Tenth 
Cavalry,  who  might  have  boasted  his  meed  of  kisses,  too, 
had  he  been  a  white  man.  At  any  rate,  he  rescued  the 
colors  of  a  white  regiment  from  unseemly  trampling  and 
bore  them  safely  through  the  bullets,  to  the  top  of  San  Juan 
Hill.  Now,  every  one  knows  that  the  standard  of  a  troop 
is  guarded  like  a  man's  own  soul,  or  should  be,  and  how  it 
came  that  this  Third  Cavalry  banner  was  lying  on  the 
ground  that  day  is  something  that  may  never  be  rightly 
known.  Some  white  man  had  left  it  there,  many  white 
men  had  let  it  stay  there,  but  Berry,  a  black  man,  saw  it 
fluttering  in  shame  and  paused  in  his  running  long  enough 
to  catch  it  up  and  lift  it  high  overhead  beside  his  own  ban- 
ner— for  he  was  a  color-bearer  of  the  Tenth. 

"Then,  with  two  flags  flying  above  him,  and  two  heavy 
staves  to  bear,  this  powerful  Negro  (he  is  literally  a  giant 
in  strength  and  stature)  charged  the  heights,  while  white 
men  and  black  men  cheered  him  as  they  pressed  behind. 
Who  shall  say  what  temporary  demoralization  there  may 
have  been  in  this  troop  of  the  Third  at  that  critical  mo  ment, 
or  what  fresh  courage  may  have  been  fired  in  them  by  that 
black  man's  act !  They  say  Berry  yelled  like  a  demon  as 
he  rushed  against  the  Spaniards,  and  I,  for  one,  am  willing 


286 

to  believe  that  his  battle-cry  brought  righting  energy  to  his 
own  side  as  well  as  terror  to  the  enemy. 

"After  the  fight  one  of  the  officers  of  the  Third  Cavalry 
sought  Berry  out  and  asked  him  to  give  back  the  trophy 
fairly  won  by  him,  and  his  to  keep,  according  to  the  usages 
of  war.  And  the  big  Negro  handed  back  the  banner  with 
a  smile  and  light  word.  He  had  saved  the  colors  and  ral- 
lied the  tioop,  but  it  didn't  matter  much.  They  could  have 
the  flag  if  they  wanted  it. 

"There  are  some  hundreds  of  little  things  like  this  that 
we  might  as  well  bear  in  mind,  we  white  men,  the  next 
time  we  start  out  to  decry  the  Negro !  " 


PRESIDENT  McKINLEY  RECOGNIZES  THE  WORTH  OF  NEGRO 
SOLDIERS  BY  PROMOTION. 

PROMOTIONS   FOR   COLORED   SOLDIERS. 

WASHINGTON,  July  30. — Six  colored  non  commissioned 
officers  who  rendered  particularly  gallant  service  in  the 
actions  around  Santiago  on  July  ist  and  2d  have  been  ap- 
pointed second  lieutenants  in  the  two  colored  immune  regi- 
ments recently  organized  under  special  act  of  Congress. 
These  men  are  Sergeants  William  Washington,  Troop  F, 
and  John  C.  Prootor,  Troop  I,  cf  the  pth  Cavalry,  and  Ser- 
geaats  William  McBryar,  Company  H;  Wyatt  Hoffman, 
Company  G ;  Macon  Russell,  Company  H,  and  Andrew  J. 
Smith,  Company  B,  of  the  25th  Infantry,  commanded  by 
Colonel  Daggett.  Jacob  C.  Smith,  Serge-ant  Pendergrass, 
Lieutenant  Ray,  Sergeant  Horace  W.  Bivins,  Lieutenant 


B.  lv.  Baker,  Lieutenant  J.  H.  Hill,  Lieutenant  Buck. — 
N.  T.    World. 

These  promotions  were  made  into  the  voluntary  regi- 
ments, which  were  mustered  out  after  the  war,  thus  leav- 
ing the  men  promoted  in  the  same  rank  they  were  before 
promotion  if  they  chose  to  re- enlist  in  the  regular  army. 
They  got  no  permanent  advancement  by  this  act  of  the 
President,  but  the  future  may  develop  better  things  for  them. 


COMPETENT  TO  BE  OFFICERS— THE  YERDICT  OF  GENERAL 

THOMAS  J.  MORGAN,  AFTER  A  STUDY  OF  THE 

NEGRO'S  QUALITY  AS  A  SOLDIER. 

Color  Line  in  the  Army— Difficulty  in  making  Afro-Americans  Commissioned  Offi- 
cers— Heroism  on  fhe  Field  Sure  to  Reap  Reward — Morgan 
Prefers  Negro  Troops  to  the  Whites. 

General  Thomas  J.  Morgan  belongs  to  that  class  of  Cau- 
casian observers  who  are  able  to  think  clearly  upon  the  Ne- 
gro problem  in  all  its  phases,  and  who  have  not  only  the 
breadth  of  intelligence  to  form  just  and  generous  opinions, 
but  who  possess  that  rarer  quality,  the  courage  to  give  them 
out  openly  to  the  [country.  General  Morgan  contributes 
the  following  article  to  the  New  York  Independent,  analyz- 
ing the  motives  which  underlie  the  color  line  in  the  army. 
He  has  had  wide  experience  in  military  affairs,  and  his  close 
contact  with  Negro  soldiers  during  the  civil  war  entitles 
him  to  speak  with  authority.  General  Morgan  says : 

u  The  question  of  the  color  line  has  assumed  an  acute 
stage,  and  has  called  forth  a  good  deal  of  feeling.  The 
various  Negro  papers  in  the  country  are  very  generally 


288 

insisting  that  if  the  Negro  soldiers  are  to  be  enlisted,  Negro 
officers  should  be  appointed  to  command  them.  One  zeal- 
ous paper  is  clamoring  for  the  appointment,  immediately, 
by  the  President,  of  a  Negro  Major  General.  The  readers 
of  The  Independent  know  very  well  that  during  the  civil 
war  there  were  enlisted  in  the  United  States  army  200,000 
Negro  soldiers  under  white  officers,  the  highest  position 
assigned  to  a  black  man  being  that  of  first  sergeant,  or  of 
regimental  sergeant-major.  The  Negroes  were  allowed 
to  wear  chevrons,  but  not  shoulder  straps  or  epaulets. 
Although  four  Negro  regiments  have  been  incorporated 
in  the  regular  army  and  have  rendered  exceptionally 
effective  service  on  the  plains  and  elsewhere  for  a  whole 
generation,  there  are  to-day  no  Negro  officers  in  the  service. 
A  number  of  young  men  have  been  appointed  as  cadets  at 
West  Point,  but  the  life  has  not  been  by  any  means  an  easy 
one.  The  only  caste  or  class  with  caste  distinctions  that 
exists  in  the  republic  is  found  in  the  army ;  army  officers 
are,  par  excellence,  the  aristocrats  ;  nowhere  is  class  feeling 
so  much  cultivated  as  among  them  ;  nowhere  is  it  so  diffi- 
cult to  break  down  the  established  lines.  Singularly  enough, 
though  entrance  to  West  Point  is  made  very  broad,  and  a 
large  number  of  those  who  go  there  to  be  educated  at  the 
expense  of  the  Government  have  no  social  position  to  begin 
with,  and  no  claims  to  special  merit,  and  yet,  after  having 
been  educated  at  the  public  expense,  and  appointed  to  life 
positions,  they  seem  to  cherish  the  feeling  that  they  are  a 
select  few,  entitled  to  special  consideration,  and  that  they 
are  called  upon  to  guard  their  class  against  any  insiduous 
invasions.  Of  course  there  are  honorable  exceptions.  There 


289 

are  many  who  have  been  educated  at  West  Point  who  are 
broad  in  their  sympathies,  democratic  in  their  ideas,  and 
responsive  to  every  appeal  of  philanthropy  and  humanity  ; 
but  the  spirit  of  West  Point  has  been  opposed  to  the  admis- 
sion of  Negroes  into  the  ranks  of  commissioned  officers, 
and  the  opposition  to  the  commissioning  of  black  men 
emenating  from  the  army  will  go  very  far  toward  the  defeat 
of  any  project  of  that  kind. 

"  To  make  the  question  of  the  admission  of  Negroes  into 
the  higher  ranks  of  commissioned  officers  more  difficult  is 
the  fact  that  the  organization  of  Negro  troops  under  the 
call  of  the  President  for  volunteers  to  carry  on  the  war 
with  Spain,  has  been  left  chiefly  to  the  Governors  of  States. 
Very  naturally  the  strong  public  sentiment  against  the 
Negro,  which  obtains  almost  universally  in  the  South,  has 
thus  far  prevented  the  recognition  of  his  right  to  be  treated 
precisely  as  the  white  man  is  treated.  It  would  be,  indeed, 
almost  revolutionary  for  any  Southern  Governor  to  com- 
mission a  Negro  as  a  colonel  of  a  regiment,  or  even  a  cap- 
tain of  a  company.  (Since  this  was  written  two  Negro 
colonels  have  been  appointed — in  the  Third  North  Carolina 
and  Eighth  Illinois.)  Even  where  there  are  exceptions  to 
this  rule,  they  are  notable  exceptions.  Everywhere  through 
the  South  Negro  volunteers  are  made  to  feel  that  they  are 
not  upon  the  same  plane  as  with  the  white  volunteers. 

"  In  a  recent  conversation  with  the  Adjutant  General  of 
the  aimy,  I  was  assured  by  him  that  in  the  organization  of 
the  ten  regiments  of  immunes  which  Congress  has  author- 
ized, the  President  had  decided  that  five  of  them  should  be 
composed  of  Negroes,  and  that  while  the  field  and  staff 


290 

officers  and  captains  are  to  be  white,  the  lieutenants  may 
be  Negroes.  If  this  is  done  it  will  mark  a  distinct  step  in 
advance  of  any  taken  hitherto.  It  will  recognize  partially, 
at  least,  the  manhood  of  a  Negro,  and  break  down  that 
unnatural  bar  of  separation  now  existing.  If  a  Negro  is  a 
lieutenant,  he  will  command  his  company  in  the  absence 
of  the  captain.  He  can  wear  epaulets,  and  be  entitled  to 
all  the  rights  and  privileges  'of  an  officer  and  a  gentleman;' 
he  is  no  longer  doomed  to  inferiority.  In  case  of  battle, 
where  bullets  have  no  respect  of  persons,  and  do  not  draw 
the  line  at  color,  it  may  easily  happen  that  a  regiment  or 
battalion  will  do  its  best  work  in  the  face  of  the  enemy 
under  the  command  of  a  Negro  chief.  Thus  far  the  Gov- 
ernment has  been  swift  to  recognize  heroism  and  efficiency  5 
whether  performed  by  Commodore  Dewey  at  Manila  or 
Lieutenant  Hobson  at  Santiago,  and  it  can  hardly  be  other- 
wise than  that  it  will  be  ready  to  recognize  exceptional 
prowess  and  skill  when  performed  by  a  Negro  officer. 

"All,  perhaps,  which  the  Negroes  themselves,  or  their 
friends,  have  a  right  to  ask  in  their  behalf  is,  that  they 
shall  have  a  chance  to  show  the  stuff  they  are  made  of.  The 
immortal  Lincoln  gave  them  this  chance  when  he  admitted 
them  to  wear  the  blue  and  carry  a  musket ;  and  right  man- 
fully did  they  justify  his  confidence.  There  was  not  better 
fighting  done  during  the  civil  war  than  was  done  by  some 
of  the  Negro  troops.  With  my  experience,  in  command  of 
5,000  Negro  soldiers,  I  would,  on  the  whole,  prefer,  I  think, 
the  command  of  a  corps  of  Negro  troops  to  that  of  a  corps 
of  white  troops.  With  the  magnificent  record  of  their  fight- 
ing qualities  on  many  a  hard-contested  field,  it  is  not  unrea- 


GENERAL,  MAXIMO    GOMEZ,  OF  THK   CUBAN   ARMY 


291 


293 

sonable  to  ask  that  a  still  further  opportunity  shall  be  ex- 
tended to  them  in  commissioning  them  as  officers,  as  well 
as  enlisting  them  as  soldiers. 

"  Naturally  and  necessarily  the  question  of  fitness  for 
official  responsibilty  is  the  prime  test  and  ought  to  be  ap- 
plied, and  if  Negroes  cannot  be  found  of  sufficient  intelli- 
gence or  preparation  for  the  duties  incumbent  on  army 
officers,  nobody  should  object  to  the  places  being  given  to 
qualified  white  men.  But  so  long  as  we  draw  no  race  line 
of  distinction  as  against  Germans  or  Irishmen,  and  insti- 
tute no  test  of  religion,  politics  or  culture,  we  ought  not  to 
erect  an  artificial  barrier  of  color.  If  the  Negroes  are  com- 
petent they  should  be  commissioned.  If  they  are  incom- 
petent they  should  not  be  trusted  with  the  grave  responsi- 
bilities attached  to  official  position.  I  believe  they  are 
competent." 


CHAPTER  V. 


MANY  TESTIMONIALS  IN   BEHALF  OF  THE  NEGRO 

SOLDIERS. 


A  SOUTHERNER'S  STATEMENT,  THAT  THE  NEGRO  CAVALRY 
SAVED  THE    •<  ROUGH  RIDERS." 

Some  of  the  officers  who  accompanied  the  wounded  sol- 
diers on  the  trip  north  give  interesting  accounts  of  the  fight- 
ing around  Santiago.  "  I  was  standing  near  Captain  Cap- 
ron  and  Hamilton  Fish,  Jr.,"  said  a  corporal  to  the  Asso- 
ciated Press  correspondent  to-night,  "  and  saw  them  shot 
down.  They  were  with  the  Rough  Riders  and  ran  into  an 
ambuscade,  though  they  had  been  warned  of  the  danger. 
If  it  had  not  been  for  the  Negro  Cavalry  the  Rough  Riders 
would  have  been  exterminated.  I  am  not  a  Negro  lover. 
My  father  fought  with  Mosby's  Rangers,  and  I  was  born 
in  the  South,  but  the  Negroes  saved  that  fight,  and  the  day 
will  come  when  General  Shafter  will  give  them  credit  for 
their  bravery." — Asso.  Press. 


NOT  THE  ROUGH  RIDERS,  BUT  THE  NEGROES  OF  THE  NINTH 

CAVALRY,  TOOK  SAN  JUAN  HILL— SO  DECLARES 

MR.  W.  B.  PHILLIPS  IN  A  LECTURE. 

CHAPEL  HILL,  N.  C.,  Sept.  28. — (Special.) — A  lecture 
which  was  greatly  enjoyed  here  was  that  of  Dr.  W.  B.  Phil- 
lips. In  an  informal  way  he  said  many  amusing  and  in- 


295 

structive  things.     Speaking  of  a  visit  he  paid  to  the  battle- 
fields of  Cuba,  he  said : 

"After  everything  is  over  is  the  best  time  to  visit  a  bat- 
tle-field. The  position  at  San  Juan  Hill  is  unusually  strong, 
and  if  any  but  Spaniards  had  held  it  we  could  not  have 
taken  it  without  losing  10,000  men.  We  owe  its  capture 
and  the  fall  of  Santiago  to  the  Negro  troops  of  the  Ninth 
Cavalry,  U.  S.  A.  All  this  talk  about  the  Rough  Riders 
is  poppy-cock  and  tommy-rot.  But  for  those  Negroes  the 
Rough  Riders  would  have  been  annihilated  and  the  7ist 
New  York  would  never  have  gotten  home.  I  was  not  there, 
but  I  have  talked  with  many  volunteers  and  regulars.  Their 
unanimous  verdict  was  that  the  Negro  troops  captured  San 
Juan  Hill." — News  and  Observer. 


RECONCILIATION. 

"  Members  of  our  regiment  kicked  somewhat  when  the 
colored  troops  were  sent  forward  with  them,  bul  when  they 
saw  how  the  Negroes  fought  they  became  reconciled  to  the 
situation,  and  some  of  them  now  say  the  colored  brother 
can  have  half  of  their  blankets  whenever  they  want  them." 

The  above  is  an  extract  from  a  communication  to  the 
Daily  Afternoon  Journal,  of  Beaumont,  Tex.,  written  by  a 
Southern  white  soldier.  "  Straws  tell  the  way  the  wind 
blows ' '  is  a  hackneyed  expression,  but  an  apt  illustration 
of  the  subject  in  hand.  It  has  been  hinted  by  a  portion  of 
the  Negro  press  that  when  the  war  ended,  that  if  there  is 
to  be  the  millenium  of  North  and  South,  the  Negroes  will 
suffer  in  the  contraction.  There  is  no  reason  to  encourage 


296 

this  pessimistic  view,  since  it  is  so  disturbing  in  its  nature, 
and  since  it  is  in  the  province  of  the  individuals  composing 
the  race  to  create  a  future  to  more  or  less  extent.  The 
wedge  has  entered ;  it  remains  for  the  race  to  live  up  to  its 
opportunities.  The  South  already  is  making  concessions. 
While  concessions  are  apt  to  be  looked  upon  as  too  patron- 
izing, and  not  included  in  the  classification  of  rights  in 
common,  yet  in  time  they  amount  to  the  same.  The  mere 
statement  that  "  the  colored  brother  can  have  half  of  their 
blankets  whenever  they  want  them,"  while  doubtless  a  fig- 
ure of  speech,  yet  it  signifies  that  under  this  very  extreme 
of  speech  an  appreciable  advance  of  the  race.  It  does  not 
mean  that  there  is  to  be  a  storming  of  the  social  barriers, 
for  even  in  the  more  favored  races  definite  lines  are  drawn. 
Sets  and  circles  adjust  such  matters.  But  what  is  desired 
is  the  toleration  of  the  Negroes  in  those  pursuits  that  the 
people  engage  in  or  enjoy  in  general  and  in  common.  It 
is  all  that  the  American  Negro  may  expect,  and  it  is  safe 
to  say  that  his  ambitions  do  not  run  higher,  and  ought  not 
to  run  higher.  Money  and  birth  in  themselves  have  cre- 
ated some  unwritten  laws  that  are  much  stronger  than 
those  decreed  and  promulgated  by  governments.  It  would 
be  the  height  of  presumption  to  strike  at  these,  to  some 
extent  privileged  classes.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  good 
fortunes  of  war  will  produce  sanity  and  stability  in  the 
race,  contending  for  abstract  justice. — Freeman. 

The  testimony  continues : 

Private  Smith,  of  the  Seventy-first  Volunteers,  speaking 
about  the  impression  his  experience  at  Santiago  had  made 
upon  him,  said : 


I  am  a  Southerner  by  birth,  and  I  never  thought  much 
of  the  colored  man.  But,  somewhat,  now  I  feel  very  differ- 
ently toward  them,  for  I  met  them  in  camp,  on  the  battle 
field  and  that's  where  a  man  gets  to  know  a  man.  I  never 
saw  such  fighting  as  those  Tenth  Cavalry  men  did.  They 
didn't  seem  to  know  what  fear  was  and  their  battle  hymn 
was,  'There'll  be  a  hot  time  in  the  old  town  to-night.' 
That's  not  a  thrilling  hymn  to  hear  on  the  concert  stage, 
but  when  you  are  lying  in  a  trench  with  the  smell  of  pow- 
der in  your  nose  and  the  crack  of  rifles  almost  deafening 
you  and  bullets  tearing  up  the  ground  around  you  like 
huge  hailstones  beating  down  the  dirt,  and  you  see  before 
you  a  blockhouse  from  which  there  belches  forth  the 
machine  gun,  pouring  a  torrent  of  leaden  missies,  while 
from  holes  in  the  ground  you  see  the  levelled  rifles  of  thous- 
ands of  enemies  that  crack  out  death  in  ever  increasing 
succession  and  then  you  see  a  body  of  men  go  up  that  hill 
as  if  it  were  in  drill,  so  solid  do  they  keep  their  formation, 
and  those  men  are  yelling,  '  There'll  be  a  hot  time  in  the 
old  town  to-night,'  sing  as  if  they  liked  their  work,  why, 
there's  an  appropriateness  in  the  tune  that  kind  of  makes 
your  blood  creep  and  your  nerves  to  thrill  and  you  want  to 
get  up  and  go  ahead  if  you  lose  a  limb  in  the  attempt 
And  that's  what  those  'niggers'  did.  You  just  heard  the 
Lieutenant  say,  '.Men,  will  you  follow  me?'  and  you  hear 
a  tremendous  shout  answer  him,  '  You  bet  we  will,'  and 
right  up  through  that  death-dealing  storm  you  see  men 
charge,  that  is,  you  see  them  until  the  darned  Springfield 
rifle  powder  blinds  you  and  hides  them. 

"And  there  is  another  thing,  too,  that  teaches  a  man  a 


298 

lesson.  The  action  of  the  officers  on  the  field  is  what  I 
speak  of.  Somehow  when  you  watch  these  men  with  their 
gold  braid  in  armories  on  a  dance  night  of  dress  parade  it 
strikes  you  that  they  are  a  little  more  handsome  and  orna- 
mental than  they  are  practical  and  useful.  To  tell  the 
truth,  I  didn't  think  much  of  those  dandy  officers  on  parade 
or  dancing  round  a  ball  room.  I  did  not  really  think  they 
were  worth  the  money  that  was  spent  upon  them.  But  I 
just  found  it  was  different  on  the  battlefield,  and  they  just 
knew  their  business  and  bullets,  were  a  part  of  the  show  to 
them."  

NE6RO  SOLDIERS. 

The  Charleston  News  and  Courier  says : 

It  is  not  known  what  proportion  of  the  insurgent  army 
is  colored,  but  the  indications  are  that  the  proportion  of  the 
same  element  in  the  volunteer  army  of  occupation  will  be 
small. 

On  the  basis  of  population,  of  course  one-third  of  the 
South' s  quota  should  be  made  up  of  colored,  and  it  is  to  be 
remembered  that  they  made  good  soldiers  and  constitute  a 
large  part  of  the  regular  army.  There  were  nearly  250,000 
of  them  in  service  in  the  last  war. 


THE  NEGRO  AS  A  SOLDIER-HIS  GOOD  MARKSMANSHIP-THE 
FIGHT  AT  EL  CANEY— "  WOE  TO  SPANISH  IN  RANGE." 

There  has  been  hitherto  among  the  officers  of  the  army 
a  certain  prejudice  against  serving  in  the  Negro  regiments. 
But  the  other  day  a  Lieutenant  in  the  Ninth  Infantry  said 
enthusiastically  : 


299 


3oi 

"  Do  you  know,  I  shouldn't  want  anything  better  than  to 
have  a  company  in  a  Negro  regiment  ?  I  am  from  Virginia, 
and  have  always  had  the  usual  feeling  about  commanding 
colored  troops.  But  after  seeing  that  charge  of  the  Twenty- 
fourth  up  the  San  Juan  Hill,  I  should  like  the  best  in  the 
world  to  have  a  Negro  company.  They  went  up  that  in- 
cline yelling  and  shouting  just  as  I  used  to  hear  when  they 
were  hunting  rabbits  in  Virginia.  The  Spanish  bullets 
only  made  them  wilder  to  reach  the  trenches. " 

Officers  of  other  regiments  which  were  near  the  Twenty- 
fourth  on  July  i,  are  equally  strong  in  their  praise  of  the 
Negroes.  Their  yells  were  an  inspiration  to  their  white 
comrades  and  spread  dismay  among  the  Spaniards.  A 
Captain  in  a  volunteer  regiment  declares  that  the  Twenty- 
fourth  did  more  than  any  other  to  win  the  day  at  San  Juan. 
As  they  charged  up  through  the  white  soldiers  their  enthu- 
siasm was  spread,  and  the  entire  line  fought  the  better  for 
their  cheers  and  their  wild  rush. 

Spanish  evidence  to  the  effectiveness  of  the  colored  sol- 
diers is  not  lacking.  Thus  an  officer  who  was  with  the 
troops  that  lay  in  wait  for  the  Americans  at  L,as  Quasinmas 
June  24th,  said : 

"  What  especially  terrified  our  men  was  the  huge  Ameri- 
can Negroes.  We  saw  their  big,  black  faces  through  the 
underbrush,  and  they  looked  like  devils.  They  came  for- 
ward under  our  fire  as  if  they  didn't  the  least  care  about  it." 

THE   CHARGE   AT   EL  CANEY. 

It  was  the  Tenth  Cavalry  that  had  this  effect  on  the 
Spaniards.  At  San  Juan  the  Ninth  Cavalry  distinguished 


302 

itself,  it's  commander,  Lieutenant- Colonel  Hamilton,  being 
killed.  The  fourth  of  the  Negro  regiments,  the  Twenty- 
fifth  Infantry,  played  an  especially  brilliant  part  in  the  bat- 
tle of  El  Caney  on  July  ist.  It  was  held  in  reserve  with 
the  rest  of  Colonel  Miles'  brigade,  but  was  ordered  to  sup- 
port General  L,awton's  brigade  toward  the  middle  of  the 
day.  At  that  hour  marching  was  an  ordeal,  but  the  men 
went  on  at  a  fast  pace.  With  almost  no  rest  they  kept  it 
up  until  they  got  into  action.  The  other  troops  had  been 
fighting  hard  for  hours,  and  the  arrival  of  the  Twenty- 
fifth  was  a  blessing.  The  Negroes  went  right  ahead  through 
the  tired  ranks  of  their  comrades.  Their  charge  up  the 
hill,  which  was  surmounted  by  Spanish  rifle  pits  and  a 
stone  fort,  has  been  told.  It  was  the  work  of  only  a  part 
of  the  regiment,  the  men  coming  chiefly  from  three  com- 
panies. Colonel  Miles  had  intended  having  his  whole 
brigade  make  the  final  charge,  but  the  Twenty-fifth  didn't 
wait  for  orders.  It  was  there  to  take  that  hill,  and  take 
the  hill  it  did. 

One  of  the  Spanish  officers  captured  there  seemed  to 
think  that  the  Americans  were  taking  an  unfair  advantage 
of  them  in  having  colored  men  who  fought  like  that.  He 
had  been  accustomed  to  the  Negroes  in  the  insurgent  army, 
and  a  different  lot  they  are  from  those  in  the  United  States 
army. 

"  Why,"  he  said  ruefully,  "  even  your  Negroes  fight  bet- 
ter than  any  other  troops  I  ever  saw." 

The  way  the  Negroes  charged  up  the  HI  Caney  and  San 
Juan  hills  suggested  inevitably  that  their  African  nature 
has  not  been  entirely  eliminated  by  generations  of  civiliza- 


303 

tion,  but  was  bursting  forth  in  savage  yells  and  in  that  wild 
rush  some  of  them  were  fairly  frantic  with  the  delight  of 
the  battle.  And  it  was  no  mere  craziness.  They  are  ex- 
cellent marksmen,  and  they  aim  carefully  and  well.  Woe 
to  the  Spaniards  who  showed  themselves  above  the  trenches 
when  a  colored  regiment  was  in  good  range. 


MAGNIFICENT    SHOWING    MADE    BY    THE    NEGKOES— THEIR 
SPLENDID  COURAGE  AT  SANTIAGO  THE  ADMI- 
RATION OF  ALL  OFFICERS. 

They  Were  Led  by  Southern  Men— Black  Men  from  the  South  Fought  Like  Tigers 

and  End  a  Question  Often  Debated — In  Only  One  or  Two  Actions  of 

the  Civil  War  Was  There  Such  a  Loss  of  Officers 

as  at  San  Juan. 

[TELEGRAM  TO  COMMERCIAL.] 

WASHINGTON,  July  6,  1898. 

Veterans  who  are  comparing  the  losses  at  the  battle  of 
San  Juan,  near  Santiago,  last  Friday,  with  those  at  Big 
Bethel  and  the  first  Bull  Run  say  that  in  only  one  or  two 
actions  of  the  late  war  was  there  such  a  loss  in  officers  as 
occurred  at  San  Juan  Hill. 

*  The  companies  of  the  Twenty-fourth  Infantry  are  with- 
out officers.  The  regiment  had  four  captains  knocked  down 
within  a  minute  of  each  other.  Capt.  A.  C.  Ducat  was  the 
first  officer  hit  in  the  action,  and  was  killed  instantly.  His 
second  lieutenant,  John  A.  Gurney,  a  Michigan  man,  was 
struck  dead  at  the  same  time  as  the  captain,  and  Lieutenant 
Henry  G.  Lyon  was  left  in  command  of  Company  D,  but 
only  for  a  few  minutes,  for  he,  too,  went  down.  Liscum, 
commanding  the  regiment,  was  killed. 


304 

NEGROES   FIGHT   LIKE  TIGERS. 

Company  F,  Twenty-fourth  Infantry,  lost  Lieutenant 
Augustin,  of  Louisiana,  killed,  and  Captain  Crane  was  left 
without  a  commissioned  officer.  The  magnificent  courage 
of  the  Mississippi,  Louisiana,  Arkansas  and  Texas  Negroes, 
which  make  up  the  rank  and  file  of  this  regiment,  is  the 
admiration  of  every  officer  who  has  written  here  since  the 
fight.  The  regiment  has  a  large  proportion  of  Southern- 
born  officers,  who  led  their  men  with  more  than  usual 
exposure. 

These  men  had  always  said  -the  Southern  Negro  would 
fight  as  staunchly  as  any  white  man,  if  he  was  led  by  those 
in  whom  he  had  confidence.  The  question  has  often  been 
debated  in  every  mess  of  the  army.  San  Juan  Hill  offered 
the  first  occasion  in  which  this  theory  could  be  tested  prac- 
tically, and  tested  it  was  in  a  manner  and  with  a  result  that 
makes  its  believers  proud  of  the  men  they  commanded.  It 
has  helped  the  morals  of  the  four  Negro  regiments  beyond 
words.  The  men  of  the  Twenty-fourth  Infantry,  particu- 
larly, and  their  comrades  of  the  Ninth  and  Tenth  Cavalry 
as  well,  are  proud  of  the  record  they  made. 

THEY  NEVER  WAVERED. 

The  Twenty-fourth  took  the  brunt  of  the  fight,  and  all 
through  it,  even  when  whole  companies  were  left  without 
an  officer,  not  for  a  moment  were  these  colored  soldiers 
shaken  or  wavering  in  the  face  of  the  fierce  attack  made 
upon  them.  Wounded  Spanish  officers  declare  that  the 
attack  was  thus  directed  because  they  did  not  believe  the 


305 

Negro  would  stand  up  against  them,  and  they  believed 
there  was  the  faulty  place  in  the  American  line.  Never 
were  men  more  amazed  than  were  the  Spanish  officers  to 
see  the  steadiness  and  cool  courage  with  which  the  Twen- 
ty-fourth charged  front  forward  on  its  tenth  company  (a 
difficult  thing  to  do  at  any  time),  under  the  hottest  fire. 
The  value  of  the  Negro  as  a  soldier  is  no  longer  a  debata- 
ble question.  It  has  been  proven  fully  in  one  of  the  sharp- 
est fights  of  the  past  three  years. 


"OUR  BOYS,"  THE  SOLDIERS. 

What  Army  Officers  and  Others  Have  to  Say  of  the  Negro's  Conduct  in  War — 
"  Give  Honor  to  Whom  Honor  is  Due  " — Acme  of  Bravery. 

It  has  been  said,  "  Give  honor  to  whom  honor  is  due,'* 
and  while  it  is  just  and  right  that  it  should  be  so,  there  are 
times,  however,  when  the  "  honor  "  due  is  withheld. 

Ever  since  the  battle  of  San  Juan  Hill  at  Santiago  de 
Cuba  nearly  every  paper  in  the  land  has  had  nothing  but 
praise  for  the  bravery  shown  by  the  "  Rough  Riders,"  and 
to  the  extent  that,  not  knowing  the  truth,  one  would  natu- 
rally arrive  at  the  conclusion  that  the  "  Rough  Riders "" 
were  uthe  whole  thing."  Although  sometimes  delayed^ 
the  truth,  like  murder,  "  will  out."  It  is  well  enough  to 
praise  the  "Rough  Riders"  for  all  they  did,  but  why  not 
divide  honors  with  the  other  fellows  who  made  it  possible 
for  them,  the  "  Rough  Riders,"  to  receive  praise,  and  be 
honored  by  a  generous  and  valorous  loving  nation  ? 

After  the  battles  of  El  Caney  and  San  Juan  Hill,  many 
wounded  American  soldiers  who  were  able  to  travel  were 


3o6 

given  furloughs  to  their  respective  homes  in  the  United 
States,  and  Lieutenant  Thomas  Roberts,  of  this  city,  was 
one  of  them.  Shortly  after  Lieutenant  Roberts  arrived  in 
the  city  he  was  interviewed  by  a  representative  of  the  Illi- 
nois State  Register,  to  whom  he  gave  a  description  of  the 
battle  of  July  ist.  He  said  :  "  On  the  night  of  June  3<Dth 
the  second  squadron  of  the  Tenth  Cavalry  did  outpost  duty. 
Daylight  opened  on  the  soon  to  be  blood-sodden  field  on 
July  ist,  and  the  Tenth  was  ordered  to  the  front  First 
went  the  first  squadron,  followed  soon  after  by  the  second, 
composed  of  Troops  G,  I,  B  and  A.  The  Tenth  Cavalry  is 
composed  of  Negroes,  commanded  by  white  officers,  and  I 
have  naught  but  the  highest  praise  for  the  swarthy  warriors 
on  the  field  of  carnage.  Led  by  brave  men,  they  will  go 
into  the  thickest  of  the  fight,  even  to  the  wicked  mouths 
of  deadly  cannon,  unflinchingly/' 

Lieutenant  Roberts  says  further  that  "  at  9  o'clock  on  the 
morning  of  July  ist  the  order  came  to  move.  Forward  we 
went,  until  we  struck  a  road  between  two  groves,  which 
road  was  swept  by  a  hail  of  shot  and  shell  from  Spanish 
guns.  The  men  stood  their  ground  as  if  on  dress  parade. 
Single  file,  every  man  ready  to  obey  any  command,  they 
bade  defiance  to  the  fiercest  storm  of  leaden  hail  that  ever 
hurled  over  a  troop  of  United  States  cavalry.  The  order 
came,  ( Get  under  cover,'  and  the  Seventy- first  New  York 
and  the  Tenth  Cavalry  took  opposite  sides  of  the  road  and 
lay  down  in  the  bushes.  For  a  short  time  no  orders  came, 
and  feeling  a  misapprehension  of  the  issue,  I  hastened  for- 
ward to  consult  with  the  first  lieutenant  of  the  company. 
We  found  that  through  a  misinterpreted  order  the  captain 


THE   FIRST  CUBAN   PRESIDENT. 


301 


309 

of  the  troop  and  eight  men  had  gone  forward.  Hastening 
back  to  my  post  I  consulted  with  the  captain  in  the  rear 
of  Troop  G,  and  the  quartermaster  appeared  upon  the  scene 
asking  the  whereabouts  of  the  Tenth  Cavalry.  They  made 
known  their  presence,  and  the  quartermaster  told  them  to 
go  on,  showing  the  path,  the  quartermaster  led  them  for- 
ward until  the  bend  in  San  Juan  River  was  reached.  Here 
the  first  bloodshed  in  the  Tenth  occurred,  a  young  volun- 
teer named  Baldwin  fell,  pierced  by  a  Spanish  ball." 

An  aide  hastened  up  and  gave  the  colonel  of  the  regiment 
orders  to  move  forward.  The  summit  of  the  hill  was 
crowned  by  two  block-houses,  and  from  these  came  an  un- 
ceasing fire.  Lieutenant  Roberts  said  he  had  been  lying 
on  the  ground  but  rose  to  his  knees  to  repeat  an  order, 
u  Move  forward,"  when  a  mauser  ball  struck  him  in  the 
abdomen  and  passed  entirely  through  his  body.  Being 
wounded,  he  was  carried  off  the  field,  but  after  all  was  over, 
Lieutenant  Roberts  says  it  was  said  (on  the  quiet  of  course) 
that  "  the  heroic  charge  of  the  Tenth  Cavalry  saved  the 
4 Rough  Riders'  from  destruction."  Lieutenant  Roberts 
says  he  left  Cuba  on  the  I2th  of  July  for  Fort  Monroe, 
and  that  a  wounded  Rough  Rider  told  him  while  coming 
over  that  "  had  it  not  been  for  the  Tenth  Cavalry  the 
Rough  Riders  would  never  have  passed  through  the  seething 
cauldron  of  Spanish  missiles.''  Such  is  the  statement  of 
one  of  Springfield's  best  citizens,  a  member  of  the  Tenth 
Cavalry,  United  States  regulars. 

Some  days  later,  Lieutenant  Roberts  had  occasion  to  visit 
Chicago  and  Fort  Sheridan,  and  while  there  he  was  inter- 
viewed by  a  representative  of  the  Chicago  Chronicle,  to 


3io 

whom  he  related  practically  the  same  story  as  above  stated. 
"  You  probably  know  my  regiment  is  made  up  exclusively 
of  Negroes,  except  for  the  commissioned  officers,  and  I 
want  to  say  right  here  that  those  men  performed  deeds  of 
heroism  on  that  day  which  have  no  parallel  in  the  history 
of  warfare.  They  were  under  fire  from  six  in  the  morning 
until  1:30  in  the  afternoon,  with  strict  orders  not  to  return 
the  hail  of  lead,  and  not  a  man  in  those  dusky  ranks  flinched. 
Our  brigade  was  instructed  to  move  forward  soon  after  i 
o'clock  to  assault  the  series  of  block-houses  which  were  re- 
garded as  impregnable  by  the  foreign  attaches.  As  the 
aide  dashed  down  our  lines  with  orders  from  headquarters 
the  boys  realized  the  prayed  for  charge  was  about  to  take 
place  and  cheered  lustily.  Such  a  charge !  Will  I  ever 
forget  that  sublime  spectacle  ?  There  was  a  river  called 
San  Juan,  from  the  hill  hard  by,  but  which  historians  will 
term  the  pool  of  blood.  Our  brigade  had  to  follow  the 
course  of  that  creek  fully  half  a  mile  to  reach  the  point 
selected  for  the  grand  attack.  With  what  cheering  did  the 
boys  go  up  that  hill !  Their  naked  bodies  seemed  to  pre- 
sent a  perfect  target  to  the  fire  of  the  dons,  but  they  never 
flinched.  When  the  command  reached  the  famous  stone 
blockhouse  it  was  commanded  by  a  second  sergeant,  who 
was  promoted  on  the  field  of  battle  for  extraordinary  bravery. 
San  Juan  fell  many  minutes  before  El  Caney,  which  was 
attacked  first,  and  I  think  the  Negro  soldiers  can  be  thanked 
for  the  greater  part  of  that  glorious  work.  All  honor  to 
the  Negro  soldiers !  No  white  man,  no  matter  what  his 
ancestry  may  be,  should  be  ashamed  to  greet  any  of  those 
Negro  cavalrymen  with  outstretched  hand.  The  swellest 


of  the  Rough  Riders  counted  our  troopers  among  their  best 
friends,  and  asked  them  to  their  places  in  New  York  when 
they  returned,  and  I  believe  the  wealthy  fellows  will  prove 
their  admiration  had  a  true  inspiration." 

Thus  we  see  that  while  the  various  newspapers  of  the 
country  are  striving  to  give  the  Rough  Riders  first  honors, 
an  honest,  straightforward  army  officer  who  was  there  and 
took  an  active  part  in  the  fight,  does  not  hesitate  to  give 
honor  to  whom  honor  is  due,  for  he  says,  "  All  honor  to  the 
Negro  soldiers,"  and  that  it  was  they  who  "  saved  the  Rough 
Riders  from  destruction."  And  right  here  I  wish  to  call 
the  reader's  attention  to  another  very  important  matter, 
and  that  is,  while  it  has  been  said  heretofore  that  the  Ne- 
gro soldier  was  not  competent  to  command,  does  not  the 
facts  in  the  case  prove,  beyond  a  doubt,  that  there  is  no 
truth  in  this  statement  whatever?  If  a  white  colonel  was 
"  competent  u  to  lead  his  command  into  the  fight,  it  seems 
that  a  colored  sergeant  was  competent  extraordinary,  for 
he  not  only  went  into  the  fight,  but  he,  and  his  command, 
"  done  something,"  done  the  enemy  out  of  the  trenches, 
"  saved  the  Rough  Riders  from  destruction,"  and  planted 
the  Stars  and  Stripes  on  the  blockhouse. 

Just  before  the  charge  one  of  the  foreign  attaches,  an 
Englishman,  was  heard  to  say  that  he  did  not  see  how  the 
blockhouse  was  to  be  reached  without  the  aid  of  cannon ; 
but  after  the  feat  had  been  accomplished,  a  colored  soldier 
said,  u  We  showed  him  how." 

Now  that  the  colored  soldier  has  proven  to  this  nation, 
and  the  representatives  of  others,  that  he  can,  and  does 
fight,  as  well  as  the  "other  fellow,"  and  that  he  is  also 


3I2 

" competent"  to  command,  it  remains  to  be  seen  if  the 
National  Government  will  give  honor  to  whom  honor  is 
due  by  honoring  those  deserving  with  commissions. 

Under  the  second  call  for  volunteers  by  the  President,  the 
State  of  Illinois  raised  a  regiment  of  colored  soldiers,  and 
Governor  Tanner  officered  that  regiment  with  colored  offi- 
cers from  colonel  down  ;  and  that,  as  you  might  say,  before 
they  had  earned  their  "rank.''  Now  the  question  is,  can 
the  national  government  afford  to  do  less  by  those  who 
have  earned,  and  are  justly  entitled  to,  a  place  in  the  higher 
ranks^  We  shall  see.  C.  F.  ANDERSON. 

Springfield,  111. 


COLORED  FIGHTERS  AT  SANTIAGO. 

Testimony  is  multiplying  of  the  bravery  of  the  colored 
troops  at  Santiago  de  Cuba  July  ist  and  2d,  1898. 

Testimony  is  adduced  to  show  that  these  "  marvels  of 
warfare"  actually  fought  without  officers  and  executed 
movements  under  a  galling  fire  which  would  have  puzzled 
a  recruit  on  parade  ground.  The  Boston  Journal  of  the 
3ist,  in  its  account,  gives  the  following  interview — Mason 
Mitchell  (white)  said : 

"  We  were  in  a  valley  when  we  started,  but  made  at  once 
for  a  trail  running  near  the  top  of  a  ridge  called  I/as  Qua- 
simas,  several  hundred  feet  high,  which,  with  several  others 
parallel  to  it,  extended  in  the  dire:tion  of  Santiago.  By 
.a  similar  trail  near  the  top  of  the  ridge  to  our  right  several 
companies  of  Negro  troopers  of  the  Ninth  and  Tenth  Uni- 
ted States  Cavalry  marched  in  scout  formation,  as  we  did. 


We  had  an  idea  about  where  the  Spaniards  were  and  de- 
pended upon  Cuban  scouts  to  warn  us,  but  they  did  not  do 
it.  At  about  8:30  o'clock  in  the  morning  we  met  a  volley 
from  the  enemy,  who  were  ambushed,  not  only  on  our 
ridge,  but  on  the  one  to  the  right,  beyond  the  Negro  troops, 
and  the  Negro  soldiers  were  under  a  cross  fire.  That  is 
how  Capt.  Capron  and  Hamilton  Fish  were  killed." 

It  says  :  u  Handsome  young  Sergt.  Stewart,  the  Rough 
Rider  protege  of  Henry  W.  Maxwell,  when  he  was  telling 
of  the  fight  in  the  ambush,  gave  it  as  his  opinion  that  the 
Rough  Riders  would  have  been  whipped  out  if  the  Tenth 
Cavalry  (colored)  had  not  come  up  just  in  time  to  drive 
the  Spaniards  back.  '  I'm  a  Southerner,  from  New  Mexico, 
and  I  never  thought  much  of  the  "  nigger  "  before.  Now  I 
know  what  they  are  made  of.  I  respect  them.  They  cer- 
tainly can  fight  like  the  devil  and  they  don't  care  for  bul- 
lets any  more  than  they  do  for  the  leaves  that  shower  down 
on  them.  I've  changed  my  opinion  of  the  colored  folks, 
for  all  of  the  men  that  I  saw  fighting,  there  were  none  to 
beat  the  Tenth  Cavalry,  and  the  colored  infantry  at  San- 
tiago, and  I  don't  mind  saying  so." 

The  description  which  follows  is  interesting : 
"  It  was  simply  grand  to  see  how  those  young  fellows, 
and  old  fellows,  too,  men  who  were  rich  and  had  been  the 
petted  of  society  in  the  city,  walk  up  and  down  the  lines 
while  their  clothes  were  powdered  by  the  dust  from  explod- 
ing shells  and  torn  by  broken  fragments,  cool  as  could  be, 
and  yelling  to  the  men  to  lay  low  and  take  good  aim,  or 
directing  some  squad  to  take  care  of  a  poor  devil  who  was 
wounded.  Why,  at  times  there  when  the  bullets  were  so 


3H 

thick  they  mowed  the  grass  down  like  grass  cutters  in 
places,  the  officers  stood  looking  at  the  enemy  through 
glasses  as  if  they  were  enjoying  the  scene,  and  now  and 
then  you'd  see  a  Captain  or  a  Lieutenant  pick  up  a  gun 
from  a  wounded  or  dead  man  and  blaze  away  himself  at 
some  good  shot  that  he  had  caught  sight  of  from  his  ad- 
vantage point.  Those  sights  kind  of  bring  men  together 
and  make  them  think  more  of  each  other.  And  when  a 
white  man  strayed  from  his  regiment  and  falls  wounded  it 
rather  affects  him  to  have  a  Negro,  shot  himself  a  couple 
of  times,  take  his  carbine  and  make  a  splint  of  it  to  keep  a 
torn  limb  together  for  the  white  soldier,  and  then,  after 
lifting  him  to  one  side,  pick  up  the  wounded  man's  rifle 
and  go  back  to  the  fight  with  as  much  vigor  as  ever.  Yes, 
sir,  we  boys  have  learned  something  down  there,  even  if 
some  of  us  were  pretty  badly  torn  for  it." 

Another  witness  testifies ;  Trooper  Lewis  Bowman, 
another  of  the  brave  Tenth  Cavalry,  had  two  ribs  broken 
by  a  Spanish  shell  while  before  San  Juan.  He  told  of  the 
battle  as  follows : 

"The  Rough  Riders  had  gone  off  in  great  glee,  banter- 
ing up  and  good-naturedly  boasting  that  they  were  going 
ahead  to  lick  the  Spaniards  without  any  trouble,  and  ad- 
vising us  to  remain  where  we  were  until  they  returned, 
and  they  would  bring  back  some  Spanish  heads  as  trophies. 
When  we  heard  firing  in  the  distance,  our  captain  remarked 
that  some  one  ahead  was  doing  good  work.  The  firing  be- 
came so  heavy  and  regular  that  our  officers,  without  orders, 
decided  to  move  forward  and  reconnoitre.  When  we  got 
where  we  could  see  what  was  going  on  we  found  that  the 


CUBANS  FIGHTING  FIGHTING  FROM  TREE  TOPS. 


315 


Rough  Riders  had  marched  down  a  sort  of  canon  between 
the  mountains.  The  Spaniards  had  men  posted  at  the  en- 
trance, and  as  soon  as  the  Rough  Riders  had  gone  in  had 
about  closed  up  the  rear  and  were  firing  upon  the  Rough 
Riders  from  both  the  front  and  rear.  Immediately  the 
Spaniards  in  the  rear  received  a  volley  from  our  men  of 
the  Tenth  Cavalry  (colored)  without  command.  The  Span- 
iards were  afraid  we  were  going  to  flank  them,  and  rushed 
out  of  ambush  in  front  of  the  Rough  Riders,  throwing  up 
their  hands  and  shouting,  '  Don't  shoot ;  we  are  Cubans/ 

"  The  Rough  Riders  thus  let  them  escape,  and  gave  them 
a  chance  to  take  a  better  position  ahead.  During  all  this 
time  the  men  were  all  in  the  tall  grass  and  could  not  see  even 
each  other,  and  I  feared  the  Rough  Riders  in  the  rear  shot 
many  of  their  men  in  the  front,  mistaking  them  for  Span- 
ish soldiers.  By  this  time  the  Tenth  Cavalry  had  fully 
taken  in  the  situation,  and,  adopting  the  method  employed 
in  fighting  the  Indians,  were  able  to  turn  the  tide  of  battle 
and  repulse  the  Spaniards." 

He  speaks  plainly  when  he  says  : 

"  I  don't  think  it  an  exaggeration  to  say  that  if  it  had 
not  been  for  the  timely  aid  of  the  Tenth  Cavalry  (colored) 
the  Rough  Riders  would  have  been  exterminated.  This  is 
the  unanimous  opinion,  at  least,  of  the  men  of  the  Tenth 
Cavalry.  I  was  in  the  fight  of  July  i,  and  it  was  in  that 
fight  that  I  received  my  wound.  We  were  under  fire  in 
that  fight  about  forty-eight  hours,  and  were  without  food 
and  with  but  little  water.  We  had  been  cut  off  from  our 
pack-train,  as  the  Spanish  sharp-shooters  shot  our  mules  as 
soon  as  they  came  anywhere  near  the  lines,  and  it  was  im- 


possible  to  move  supplies.  Very  soon  after  the  firing  began 
our  Colonel  was  killed,  and  the  most  of  our  other  officers 
were  killed  or  wounded,  so  that  the  greater  part  of  that  des- 
perate battle  was  fought  by  some  of  the  Ninth  and  Tenth 
Cavalry  without  officers ;  or,  at  least,  if  there  were  any  offi- 
cers around,  we  neither  saw  them  nor  heard  their  com- 
mands. The  last  command  I  heard  our  Captain  give  was : 

"  '  Boys,  when  you  hear  my  whistle,  lie  flat  down  on  the 
ground.' 

"  Whether  he  ever  whistled  or  not  I  do  not  know.  The 
next  move  we  made  was  when,  with  a  terrific  yell,  we 
charged  up  to  the  Spanish  trenches  and  bayoneted  and 
clubbed  them  out  of  their  places  in  a  jiffy.  Some  of  the 
men  of  our  regiment  say  that  the  last  command  they  heard 
was  :  '  To  the  rear  ! '  But  this  command  they  utterly  dis- 
regarded and  charged  to  the  front  until  the  day  was  won, 
and  the  Spaniards,  those  not  dead  in  the  trenches,  fled  back 
to  the  city." 

But  a  colored  man,  Wm.  H.  Brown,  a  member  of  the 
Tenth  Cavalry,  said : 

"  A  foreign  officer,  standing  near  our  position  when  we 
started  out  to  make  that  charge,  was  heard  to  say  :  '  Men, 
for  heaven's  sake,  don't  go  up  that  hill !  It  will  be  impos- 
sible for  human  beings  to  take  that  position !  You  can't 
stand  the  fire  ! '  Notwithstanding  this,  with  a  terrific  yell 
we  rushed  up  the  enemy's  works,  and  you  know  the  result. 
Men  who  saw  him,  say  that  when  this  officer  saw  us  make 
the  charge  he  turned  his  back  upon  us  and  wept. 

"  And  the  odd  thing  about  it  all  is  that  these  wounded 
heroes  never  will  admit  that  they  did  anything  out  of  the 


common.  They  will  talk  all  right  about  those  '  other  fel- 
lows,' but  they  don't  about  themselves,  and  were  immensely 
surprised  when  such  a  fuss  was  made  over  them  on  their 
arrival  and  since.  They  simply  believed  they  had  a  duty 
to  perform  and  performed  it.'' — Planet. 


OUR  COLORED  SOLDIERS. 

A  Few  of  the  Interesting  Comments  on  the  Deeds  Performed  by  the  Brave  Boys  of 
the  Regular  Army— Saved  the  Life  of  His  Lieutenant  but  Lost  His  Own. 

"The  Ninth  and  Tenth  Cavalry  are  composed  of  the 
bravest  lot  of  soldiers  I  ever  saw.  They  held  the  ground 
that  Roosevelt  retreated  from  and  saved  them  from  anni- 
hilation." 

To  a  Massachusetts  soldier  in  another  group  of  inter- 
viewers the  same  question  was  put :  "  How  about  the  col- 
ored soldiers  ?  " 

"  They  fought  like  demons,"  came  the  answer. 

"  Before  El  Caney  was  taken  the  Spaniards  were  on  the 
heights  of  San  Juan  with  heavy  guns.  All  along  our  line 
an  assault  was  made  and  the  enemy  was  holding  us  off  with 
terrible  effect.  From  their  blockhouse  on  the  hill  came  a 
magazine  of  shot.  Shrapnell  shells  fell  in  our  ranks,  doing 
great  damage.  Something  had  to  be  done  or  the  day  would 
have  been  lost.  The  Ninth  and  part  of  the  Tenth  Cavalry 
moved  across  into  a  thicket  near  by.  The  Spaniards  rained 
shot  upon  them.  They  collected  and  like  a  flash  swept 
across  the  plains  and  charged  up  the  hill.  The  enemy's 
guns  were  used  with  deadly  effect.  On  and  on  they  went, 
charging  with  the  fury  of  madness.  The  blockhouse  was 
captured,  the  enemy  fled  and  we  went  into  El  Caney." 


320 

In  another  group  a  trooper  from  an  Illinois  regiment  was 
explaining  the  character  of  the  country  and  the  effect  of 
the  daily  rains  upon  the  troops.  Said  he  : 

u  Very  few  colored  troops  are  sick.  They  stood  the 
climate  better  and  even  thrived  on  the  severity  of  army 
life." 

Said  he :  "I  never  had  much  use  for  a  '  nigger '  and  didn't 
•want  him  in  the  fight.  He  is  all  right,  though.  He  makes 
a  good  soldier  and  deserves  great  credit." 

Another  comrade  near  by  related  the  story  as  told  by  a 
cavalry  lieutenant,  who  with  a  party  reconnoitered  a  dis- 
tance from  camp.  The  thick  growth  of  grass  and  vines 
made  ambuscading  a  favorite  pastime  with  the  Spaniards. 
With  smokeless  powder  they  lay  concealed  in  the  grass. 
As  the  party  rode  along  the  sharp  eye  of  a  colored  cavalry- 
man noticed  the  movement  of  grass  ahead.  Leaning  over 
his  horse  with  sword  in  hand  he  plucked  up  an  enemy 
whose  gun  was  levelled  at  the  officer.  The  Spaniard  was 
killed  by  the  Negro,  who  himself  fell  dead,  shot  by  an- 
other. He  had  saved  the  life  of  his  lieutenant  and  lost  his 
own. 

A  comrade  of  the  Seventeeth  Infantry  gave  his  testi- 
mony. He  said : 

"  I  shall  never  forget  the  ist  of  July.  At  one  time  in 
the  engagement  of  that  day  the  Twenty-first  Infantry  had 
faced  a  superior  force  of  Spaniards  and  were  almost  com- 
pletely surrounded.  The  Twenty-fourth  Infantry  of  col- 
ored troops,  seeing  the  perilous  position  of  the  Twenty- 
first,  rushed  to  the  rescue,  charged  and  routed  the  enemy, 
thereby  saving  the  ill-fated  regiment." 


321 

Col.  Joseph  Haskett,  of  the  Seventeeth  regular  Infan- 
try, testifies  to  the  meritorious  conduct  of  the  Negro  troops. 
Said  he : 

"  Our  colored  soldiers  are  100  per  cent,  superior  to  the 
Cuban.  He  is  a  good  scout,  brave  soldier,  and  not  only 
that,  but  is  everywhere  to  be  seen  building  roads  for  the 
movement  of  heavy  guns.'' 

Among  the  trophies  of  war  brought  to  Old  Point  were 
a  machete,  the  captured  property  of  a  colored  trooper,  a 
fine  Spanish  sword,  taken  from  an  officer  and  a  little  Cuban 
lad  about  nine  years  old,  whose  parents  had  bled  for  Cuba. 
His  language  and  appearance  made  him  the  cynosure  of  all 
eyes.  He  was  dressed  in  a  little  United  States  uniform 
and  had  pinned  to  his  clothing  a  tag  which  read  :  "  San- 
tiago buck,  care  of  Col.  C.  L.  Wilson,  Manhattan  Club, 
New  York."  His  name  is  Varrames  y  Pillero. 

He  seemed  to  enjoy  the  shower  of  small  coin  that  fell 
upon  him  from  the  hotels.  His  first  and  only  English 
words  were,  "  Moocha  Moona." 

These  fragments  were  gathered  while  visiting  at  Old 
Point  Comfort  recently.  They  serve  to  show  the  true  feel- 
ing of  the  whites  for  their  brave  black  brother. 

A.  E.  MEYZKKK,  in  the  Freeman. 

Louisville,  Ky. 


BLACK  SOLDIER  BOYS. 


The  following  is  what  the  New  York  Mail  and  Express 
says  respecting  the  good  service  being  rendered  by  our 
black  soldier  boys  : 


322 

"  All  honors  to  the  black  troopers  of  the  gallant  Tenth  ! 
No  more  striking  example  of  bravery  and  coolness  has 
been  shown  since  the  destruction  of  the  Maine  than  by  the 
colored  veterans  of  the  Tenth  Cavalry  during  the  attack 
upon  Caney  on  Saturday.  By  the  side  of  the  intrepid 
Rough  Riders  they  followed  their  leaders  up  the  terrible 
hill  from  whose  crest  the  desperate  Spaniards  poured  down 
a  deadly  fire  of  shell  and  musketry.  They  never  faltered. 
The  rents  in  their  ranks  were  filled  as  soon  as  made.  Fir- 
ing as  they  marched,  their  aim  was  splendid,  their  coolness 
was  superb,  and  their  courage  aroused  the  admiration  of 
their  comrades.  Their  advance  was  greeted  with  wild 
cheers  from  the  white  regiments,  and  with  an  answering 
shout  they  pressed  onward  over  the  trenches  they  had 
taken  close  in  the  pursuit  of  the  retreating  enemy.  The 
war  has  not  shown  greater  heroism.  The  men  whose  own 
freedom  was  baptized  with  blood  have  proved  themselves 
capable  of  giving  up  their  lives  that  others  may  be  free. 
To-day  is  a  glorious  Fourth  for  all  races  of  people  in  this 
great  land." 

THEY  NEVER  FALTERED. 

The  test  of  the  Negro  soldier  has  been  applied  and  to- 
day the  whole  world  stands  amazed  at  the  valor  and  dis- 
tinctive bravery  shown  by  the  men,  who,  in  the  face  of  a 
most  galling  fire,  rushed  onward  while  shot  and  shell  tore 
fearful  gaps  in  their  ranks.  These  men,  the  Tenth  Cavalry, 
did  not  stop  to  ask  was  it  worth  while  for  them  to  lay 
down  their  lives  for  the  honor  of  a  country  that  has  silently 
allowed  her  citizens  to  be  killed  and  maltreated  in  almost 


323 

every  conceivable  way  ;  they  did  not  stop  to  ask  would 
their  death  bring  deliverance  to  their  race  from  mob  vio- 
lence and  lynching.  They  saw  their  duty  and  did  it !  The 
New  York  Journal  catches  inspiration  from  the  wonderful 
courage  of  the  Tenth  Cavalry  and  writes  these  words : 

u  The  two  most  picturesque  and  most  characteristically 
American  commands  in  General  Shafter's  army  bore  off 
the  great  honors  of  a  day  in  which  all  won  honor. 

'No  man  can  read  the  story  in  to-day's  Journal  of  the 
'  Rough  Riders' '  charge  on  the  block  house  at  El  Caney  of 
Theodore  Roosevelt's  mad  daring  in  the  face  of  what 
seemed  certain  death  without  having  his  pulses  beat  faster 
and  some  reflected  light  of  the  fire  of  battle  gleam  from  his 
eyes. 

"  And  over  against  this  scene  of  the  cowboy  and  the  col- 
lege graduate,  the  New  York  man  about  town  and  the  Ari- 
zona bad  man  united  in  one  coherent  war  machine,  set  the 
picture  of  the  Tenth  United  States  Cavalry — the  famous 
colored  regiment.  Side  by  side  with  Roosevelt's  men  they 
fought — these  black  men.  Scarce  used  to  freedom  them- 
selves, they  are  dying  that  Cuba  may  be  free.  Their  marks- 
manship was  magnificent,  say  the  eye  witnesses.  Their 
courage  was  superb.  They  bore  themselves  like  veterans, 
and  gave  proof  positive  that  out  of  nature's  naturally 
peaceful,  careless  and  playful  military  discipline  and  an 
inspiring  cause  can  make  soldiers  worthy  to  rank  with 
Caesar's  legions  or  Cromwell's  army. 

"  The  Rough  Riders  and  the  Black  Regiment.  In  those 
two  commands  is  an  epitome  of  almost  our  whole  national 
character." 


324 

THE  NEGRO  AS  A  SOLDIER. 

His  Good  Nature— His  Kindheariedness— Equally  Available  in  Infantry  or  Cavalry, 

The  good  nature  of  the  Negro  soldier  is  remarkable.  He 
is  always  fond  of  a  joke  and  never  too  tired  to  enjoy  one. 
Officers  have  wondered  to  see  a  whole  company  of  them, 
at  the  close  of  a  long  practice  march,  made  with  heavy 
baggage,  chasing  a  rabbit  which  some  one  may  have 
started.  They  will  run  for  several  hundred  yards  whoop- 
ing and  yelling  and  laughing,  and  come  back  to  camp 
feeling  as  if  they  had  had  lots  of  fun,  the  white  soldier,  even 
if  not  tired,  would  never  see  any  joke  in  rushing  after  a 
rabbit.  To  the  colored  man  the  diversion  is  a  delight. 

In  caring  for  the  sick,  the  Negroe's  tenderheartedness  is 
conspicious.  On  one  of  the  transports  loaded  with  sick 
men  a  white  soldier  asked  to  be  helped  to  his  bunk  below. 
No  one  of  his  color  stirred,  but  two  Negro  convalescents 
at  once  went  to  his  assistance.  When  volunteers  were 
called  for  to  cook  for  the  sick,  only  Negroes  responded* 
They  were  pleased  to  be  of  service  to  their  officers.  If  the 
Captain's  child  is  ill,  every  man  in  the  company  is  solici- 
tious ;  half  of  them  want  to  act  as  nurse.  They  feel  honored 
to  be  hired  to  look  after  an  officer's  horse  and  clothing. 
The  "  striker  "  as  he  is  called,  soon  gets  to  look  on  himself 
as  a  part  of  his  master;  it  is  not  "Captain  has  been  ordered 
away,"  but  "  We  have  been  ordered  away."  Every  con- 
cern of  his  employer  about  which  he  knows  interests  him, 
and  a  slight  to  his  superior  is  vastly  more  of  an  offence 
than  if  offered  to  himself.  Indeed,  if  the  army  knew 
how  well  officers  of  the  colored  regiments  are  looked 
after  by  their  men,  there  would  be  less  disinclination  to 


325 

serve  in  such  commands.  After  years  with  a  Negro  com- 
pany, officers  find  it  difficult  to  get  along  with  white  sol- 
diers. They  must  be  much  more  careful  to  avoid  hurting 
sensibilities,  and  must  do  without  many  little  services  to 
which  they  have  been  accustomed. 


MRS.  PORTER'S  RIDE  TO  THE  FRONT. 

For  many  years  she  has  known  and  admired  Miss  Bar- 
ton and  against  the  advice  of  her  friends  had  resolved  to 
help  Miss  Barton  in  her  task  of  succoring  the  sufferers  in 
Cuba. 

During  the  second  day's  fighting  Mrs.  Porter,  escorted 
by  a  general  whom  she  has  known  for  many  years,  rode 
almost  to  the  firing  line.  Bullets  whistled  about  her  head, 
but  she  rode  bravely  on  until  her  curiosity  was  satisfied. 
Then  she  rode  leisurely  back  to  safety.  She  came  back  fill- 
ed with  admiration  of  the  colored  troops.  She  described 
them  as  being  "  brave  in  battle,  obedient  under  orders  and 
philosophical  under  privations." 

Thanks  to  Mrs.  Porter,  the  wife  of  the  President's  pri- 
vate Secretary.  Mrs.  Porter  is  one  of  heaven's  blessings, 
sent  as  a  messenger  of  uThe  Ship"  earth,  to  testify  in 
America  what  she  saw  of  the  Negro  troops  in  Cuba. 


THE  INVESTMENT  OF  SANTIAGO  AND  SURRENDER. 

(As  Presented  in  the  N.  Y.  World.) 

General  Shatter  put  a  human  rope  of  22,400  men  around 
Santiago,  with  its  26,000  Spanish  soldiers,  and  then  Spain 
succumbed  in  despair.  In  a  semi-circle  extending  around 
Santiago,  from  Daliquiri  on  the  east  clear  around  to  Cobre 


326 


on  the  west,  our  troops  were  stretched  a  cordon  of  almost 
impenetrable  thickness  and  strength.  First  came  General 
Bates,  with  the  Ninth,  Tenth,  Third,  Thirteenth,  Twenty- 
first  and  Twenty-fourth  U.  S.  Infantry.  On  his  right 
crouched  General  Sumner,  commanding  the  Third,  Sixth 
and  Ninth  U.  S.  Cavalry.  Next  along  the  arc  were  the 
Seventh,  Twelfth  and  Seventeenth  U.  S.  Infantry  under 
General  Chaff ee.  Then,  advantagously  posted,  there  were 
six  batteries  of  artillery  prepared  to  sweep  the  horizon  un- 
der direction  of  General  Randolph.  General  Jacob  Kent, 
with  the  Seventy- first  New  York  Volunteers  and  the  Sixth 
and  Sixteenth  U.  S.  Infantry,  held  the  centre.  They  were 
flanked  by  General  Wheeler  and  the  Rough  Riders,  dis- 
mounted ;  eight  troops  of  the  First  U.  S.  Volunteers,  four 
troops  of  the  Second  U.  S.  Cavalry,  four  light  batteries, 
two  heavy  batteries  and  then  four  more  troops  of  the 
Second  U.  S.  Cavalry. 

SANTIAGO'S    KH,I,ED    AND    WOUNDED    COMPARED    WITH    HISTORIC 

BATTLES. 


Men  Engaged. 

Killed  and 
Wounded. 

Per  Ct. 
Lost. 

Agincourt  

62,000 

11,400 

.18 

Alma    

103,000 

8,400 

.08 

Bannockburn  

135,000 

38  000 

.28 

Borodino  

250,000 

78,000 

.31 

Cannae  

146,000 

52  000 

.34 

Cressy  

117,000 

31,000 

.27 

Gravelotte  
Sadowa 

396,000 
291  000 

62,000 
33  000 

.16 
.11 

Waterloo  

221,000 

51,000 

.23 

Antietam. 

87  000 

31  000 

35 

Austerlitz                                         -. 

154  000 

38  000 

.48 

Gettysburg 

185  000 

34  000 

.44 

Sedan. 

314  000 

47  000 

.36 

Santiago  . 

22  OOQ 

1  457 

.07 

(  El  Caiiey. 

3  300 

650 

.19 

<  San  Juan 

6  000 

754 

.12 

(  Aguadores  

2,400 

82 

.02 

327 


329 

General  L,awton,  with  the  Second  Massachusetts  and 
the  Eighth  and  Twenty-second  U.  S.  Infantry,  came  next. 
Then  General  Duffield's  command,  comprising  the  volun- 
teers from  Michigan  (Thirty-third  and  Third  Regiments) 
and  the  Ninth  Massachusetts,  stretched  along  until  Gen. 
L/udlow's  men  were  reached.  These  comprised  the  First 
Illinois,  First  District  of  Columbia,  Eighth  Ohio,  running 
up  to  the  Eighth  and  Twenty-second  Regulars  and  the 
Bay  State  men.  Down  by  the  shore  across  from  Morro 
and  a  little  way  inland  Generals  Henry  and  Garreston  had 
posted  the  Sixth  Illinois  and  the  crack  Srxth  Massachu- 
setts, flanking  the  railroad  line  to  Cobre. 

SCENES  OF  THE   FINAL  SURRENDER. 

When  reveille  sounded  Sunday  morning  half  the  great 
semi-lunar  camp  was  awake  and  eager  for  the  triumphal 
entrance  into  the  city.  Speculation  ran  rife  as  to  which 
detachment  would  accompany  the  General  and  his  staff 
into  Santiago.  The  choice  fell  upon  the  Ninth  Infantry. 

Shortly  before  9  o'clock  General  Shafter  left  his  head- 
quarters, accompanied  by  Generals  Lawton  and  Wheeler, 
Colonels  Ludlow,  Ames  and  Kent,  and  eighty  other  officers. 
The  party  walked  slowly  down  the  hill  to  the  road  leading 
to  Santiago,  along  which  they  advanced  until  they  reached 
the  now  famous  tree  outside  the  walls,  under  which  all 
negotiations  for  the  surrender  of  the  city  had  taken  place. 
As  they  reached  this  spot  the  cannon  on  every  hillside  and 
in  the  city  itself  boomed  forth  a  salute  of  twenty-one  guns, 
which  was  echoed  at  Siboney  and  Aserradero. 


330 

The  soldiers  knew  what  the  salute  meant,  and  cheer  upon 
cheer  arose  and  ran  from  end  to  end  of  the  eight  miles  of 
the  American  lines.  A  troop  of  colored  cavalry  and  the 
Twenty-fifth  colored  infantry  then  started  to  join  General 
Shafter  and  his  party. 

The  Americans  waited  under  the  tree  as  usual,  when 
General  Shafter  sent  word  to  General  Toral  that  he  was 
ready  to  take  possession  of  the  town.  General  Toral,  in 
full  uniform,  accompanied  by  his  whole  staff,  fully  capari- 
soned, shortly  afterward  left  the  city  and  walked  to  where 
the  American  officers  were  waiting  their  coming.  When 
they  reached  the  tree  General  Shafter  and  General  Toral 
saluted  each  other  gravely  and  courteously.  Salutes  were 
also  exchanged  by  other  American  and  Spanish  officers. 
The  officers  were  then  introduced  to  each  other.  After  this 
little  ceremony,  the  two  commanding  Generals  faced  each 
other  and  General  Toral,  speaking  in  Spanish,  said : 

"  Through  fate  I  am  forced  to  surrender  to  General  Shaf- 
ter of  the  American  Army,  the  city  and  the  strongholds  of 
Santiago." 

General  Toral's  voice  grew  husky  as  he  spoke,  giving  up 
the  town  and  the  surrounding  country  to  his  victorious 
enemy.  As  he  finished  speaking  the  Spanish  officers  pre- 
sented arms. 

General  Shafter,  in  reply,  said  : 

"  I  receive  the  city  in  the  name  of  the  government  of  the 
United  States." 

General  Toral  addressed  an  order  to  his  officers  in  Span- 
ish and  they  wheeled  about,  still  presenting  arms,  and  Gen- 
eral Shafter  and  the  other  American  officers  with  the  cav- 


331 

airy  and  infantry  followed  them,  walked  by  the  Spaniards 
and  proceeded  into  the  city  proper. 

The  soldiers  on  the  American  line  could  see  quite  plainly 
all  the  proceedings.  As  their  commander  entered  the  city 
they  gave  voice  to  cheer  after  cheer. 

Although  no  attempt  was  made  to  humiliate  them,  the 
Spanish  soldiers  seemed  at  first  to  feel  downcast  and  scarcely 
glanced  at  their  conquerors  as  they  passed  by,  but  this  ap- 
parent depth  of  feeling  was  not  displayed  very  long.  With- 
out being  sullen,  they  appeared  to  be  utterly  indifferent  to 
the  reverses  of  the  Spanish  arms,  but  it  was  not  long  ere 
the  prospect  of  regulation  rations  and  a  chance  to  go  to 
their  homes  made  them  almost  cheerful.  All  about  the 
filthy  streets  of  the  city  the  starving  refugees  could  be  seen, 
gaunt,  hollow-eyed,  weak  and  trembling. 

The  squalor  in  the  streets  was  dreadful.  The  bones  of 
dead  horses  and  other  animals  were  bleaching  in  the  streets 
and  buzzards,  almost  as  tame  as  sparrows,  hopped  aside  as 
passers  by  disturbed  them.  There  was  a  fetid  smell  every- 
where and  evidences  of  a  pitiless  siege  and  starvation  on 
every  hand. 

The  palace  was  reached  soon  after  10  o'clock.  Then 
General  Toral  introduced  General  Shafter  and  the  other 
officials  to  various  local  dignitaries,  and  a  scanty  luncheon 
was  brought.  Coffee,  rice,  wine  and  toasted  cake  were  the 
main  condiments. 

Then  came  the  stirring  scene  on  the  balcony,  which  every 
one  felt  was  destined  to  become  notably  historic  in  our  an- 
nals of  warfare ;  and  the  ceremony  over,  General  Shafter 
withdrew  to  our  own  lines  and  left  the  city  to  General  Me- 


332 

Kibbin  and  his  police  force  of  guards  and  sentries.  The 
end  had  come.  Spain's  haughty  ensign  trailed  in  the  dust ; 
Old  Glory,  typifying  liberty  and  the  pursuit  of  happiness, 
untrammeled  floated  over  the  official  buildings  from  Fort 
Morro  to  the  Plaza  de  Armas — the  investment  of  Santiago 
de  Cuba  was  accomplished. 


GENERAI,   RUSSEI.I,  A.  AI.GER,  SECRETARY  OF  WAR. 


CHAPTER  YI. 


NO  COLOR  LINE  DRAWN  IN  CUBA. 

A  Graphic  Description— Condition  in  the  Pearl  of  the  Antilles— American  Pre- 
judice Cannot  Extst  There — A  Catholic  Priest  Vouches  for  the 
Accuracy  of  Statement. 

The  article  we  reprint  from  the  New  York  Sun  touching 
the  status  of  the  Colored  man  in  Cuba  was  shown  to  Rev. 
Father  Walter  R.  Yates,  Assistant  pastor  of  St.  Joseph's 
Colored  Church. 

A  Planet  reporter  was  informed  that  Father  Yates  had 
resided  in  that  climate  for  several  years  and  wished  his 
views. 

"  The  Sun  correspondent  is  substantially  correct,"  said 
the  Reverend  gentleman.  "  Of  course  the  article  is  very 
incomplete,  there  are  many  omissions,  but  that  is  to  be  ex. 
pected  in  a  newspaper  article. 

It  would  take  volumes  to  describe  the  achievements  of 
men  of  the  Negro,  or  as  I  prefer  to  call  it,  the  Aethiopic 
Race,  not  only  in  Cuba,  but  in  all  the  West  Indies,  Central 
and  South  America,  and  in  Europe,  especially  in  Sicily, 
Spain  and  France. 

"  By  achievement  I  mean  success  in  military,  political, 
social,  religious  and  literary  walks  of  life. 

u  The  only  thing  I  see  to  correct  in  the  Sun's  article," 
continued  the  Father,  "  is  in  regard  to  population.  A  Span- 
ish official  told  me  that  the  census  figures  were  notoriously 


336 

misleading.  The  census  shows  less  than  one-third  colored. 
That  is  said  not  to  be  true.  As  soon  as  a  man  with  African 
blood,  whether  light  or  dark,  acquires  property  and  educa- 
tion, he  returns  himself  in  the  census  as  white.  The  officials 
humor  them  in  this  petty  vanity.  In  fact  it's  the  most 
difficult  thing  in  the  world  to  distungish  between  races  in 
Cuba.  Many  Spaniards  from  Murcia,  for  instance,  of  un- 
doubted noble  lineage  are  darker  than  Richmond  mulat- 
toes." 

May  I  ask  you,  Father  Yates,  to  what  do  you  ascribe  the 
absence  of  Race  prejudice  in  Cuba  ? 

"  Certainly.  In  my  humble  opinion  it  is  due  to  Church 
influence.  We  all  know  the  effect  on  our  social  life  of  our 
churches.  Among  Catholics  all  men  have  always  been  on 
equal  footing  at  the  Communion  rail.  Catholics  would  be 
unworthy  of  their  name,  i.  e.,  Catholic  or  universal  were  it 
not  so. 

"  Even  in  the  days  when  slavery  was  practiced  this  relig- 
ious equality  and  fellowship  was  fully  recognized  among 
Catholics. 

"  Did  you  know  there  is  an  American  Negro  Saint  ?  He 
was  born  in  Colon,  Central  America,  and  is  called  Blessed 
Martin  De  Porres.  His  name  is  much  honored  in  Cuba, 
Peru,  Mexico  and  elsewhere.  He  wore  the  white  habit  of 
a  Dominican  Brother.  The  Dominicans  are  called  the 
Order  of  Preachers. 

"  Christ  Died  for  All.  Father  Donovan  has  those  words 
painted  in  large  letters  over  the  Sanctuary  in  St.  Joseph's 
Church.  It  is  simply  horrible  to  think  that  some  self- 


337 

styled  Christian  sectarians  act  as  if  Christ  died  for  white 
men  only." 

Matanzas,  Cuba,  Jan.  20. — Not  last  among  the  prob- 
lems of  reconstruction  in  Cuba  is  the  social  and  political 
status  of  the  colored  "man  and  brother."  In  Cuba  the 
shade  of  a  man's  complexion  has  never  been  greatly  con- 
sidered, and  one  finds  dusky  Othellos  in  every  walk  of  life. 
The  present  dispute  arose  when  a  restaurant  keeper  from 
Alabama  refused  a  seat  at  his  public  table  to  the  mulatto 
Colonel  of  a  Cuban  regiment.  The  Southerner  was  per- 
fectly sincere  in  the  declaration  that  he  would  see  himself 
in  a  warmer  climate  than  Cuba  before  he  would  insult  his 
American  guests  "  by  seating  a  '  nigger  '  among  them  !  " 
To  the  Colonel  it  was  a  novel  and  astonishing  experience,, 
and  is  of  course  deeply  resented  by  all  its  kind  in  Cuba,, 
where  African  blood  may  be  found,  in  greater  or  less  de- 
gree, in  some  of  the  riches4:  and  most  influential  families  of 
the  island. 

COLORED   BELLES  THERE. 

In  Havana  you  need  not  be  surprised  to  see  Creole  belles 
on  the  fashionable  Prado — perhaps  Cuban-Spanish,  Cuban- 
English  or  Cuban- German  blondes — promenading  with  Ne- 
gro officers  in  gorgeous  uniforms  ;  or  octoroon  beauties  with 
hair  in  natural  crimp,  riding  in  carriages  beside  white  hus- 
bands or  lighting  up  an  opeia  box  with  the  splendor  of 
their  diamonds.  There  was  a  wedding  in  the  old  cathedral 
the  other  day,  attended  by  the  elite  of  the  city,  the  bride 
being  the  lovely  young  daughter  of  a  Cuban  planter,  the 
groom  a  burly  Negro.  Nobody  to  the  manor  born  has  ever 


338 

dreamed  of  objecting  to  this  mingling  of  colors ;  therefore 
when  some  newly  arrived  foreigner  declares  that  nobody 
but  those  of  his  own  complexion  shall  eat  in  a  public  din- 
ing room,  there  is  likely  to  be  trouble. 

THE   WAR   BEGAN. 

When  the  war  began  the  population  of  Cuba  was  a  little 
more  than  one-third  black ;  now  the  proportion  is  officially 
reckoned  as  525,684  colored,  against  1,631,600  white.  In 
1898  two  Negroes  were  serving  as  secretaries  in  the  Au- 
tonomist Cabinet.  The  last  regiment  that  Blanco  formed 
was  of  Negro  volunteers,  to  whom  he  paid — or,  rather, 
promised  to  pay,  which  is  quite  another  matter,  consider- 
ing Blanco's  habit — the  unusual  hire  of  $20  a  month,  show- 
ing his  appreciation  of  the  colored  man  as  a  soldier.  If 
General  Weyler  evinced  any  partiality  in  Cuba,  it  was  for 
the  black  Creole.  During  the  ten  years'  war,  his  cavalry 
escort  was  composed  entirely  of  colored  men.  Through- 
out his  latest  reign  in  the  island  he  kept  black  soldiers  con- 
stantly on  guard  at  the  gates  of  the  government  palace. 
While  the  illustrated  papers  of  Spain  were  caricaturing 
the  insurgents  as  coal-black  demons  with  horns  and  forked 
toe  nails,  burning  canefields  and  butchering  innocent 
Spaniards,  the  Spanish  General  choose  them  for  his  body- 
guards. 

ONE  OF  THE  GREATEST  GENERALS. 

One  of  the  greatest  Generals  of  the  day,  considering  the 
environment,  was  Antonio  Maceo,  the  Cuban  mulatto  hero, 
who,  for  two  years,  kept  the  Spanish  army  at  bay  or  led 


CUBAN   WOMAN   CAVALRY. 


339 


them  a  lively  quickstep  through  the  western  provinces  to 
the  very  gates  of  Havana.  As  swift  on  the  march  as 
Sheridan  or  Stonewall  Jackson,  as  wary  and  prudent  as 
Grant  himself,  he  had  inspirations  of  military  genius  when- 
ever a  crisis  arose.  It  is  not  generally  known  that  Marti- 
nez Campos,  who  owed  his  final  defeat  at  Colisea  to  Maceo, 
was  a  second  cousin  of  this  black  man.  Maceo's  mother, 
whose  family  name  was  Grinan,  came  from  the  town  of 
Mayari  where  all  the  people  have  Indian  blood  in  their 
veins.  Col.  Martinez  del  Campos,  father  of  General  Mar- 
tinez Campos,  was  once  Military  Governor  of  Mayari. 
While  there  he  loved  a  beautiful  girl  of  Indian  and  Negro 
blood,  who  belonged  to  the  Grinan  family,  and  was  first 
cousin  to  Maceo's  mother.  Martinez  Campos,  Jr.,  the  fu- 
ture General  and  child  of  the  Indian  girl  was  bom  in 
Mayari.  The  Governor  could  not  marry  his  sweetheart, 
having  a  wife  and  children  in  Spain,  but  when  he 
returned  to  the  mother  country  he  took  the  boy  along. 
According  to  Spanish  law,  the  town  in  which  one  is  bap- 
tized is  recognized  as  his  legal  birthplace,  so  it  was  easy 
enough  to  legitimatize  the  infant  Campos.  He  grew  up 
in  Spain,  and  when  sent  to  Cuba  as  Captain-General,  to 
his  everlasting  credit  be  it  said,  that  one  of  his  first  acts 
was  to  hunt  up  his  mother.  Having  found  her,  old  and 
poor,  he  bought  a  fine  house  in  Campo,  Florida,  the  aris- 
tocratic suburb  of  Havana,  established  her  there  and  cared 
for  her  tenderly  till  she  died.  The  cousins,  though  on  op- 
posite sides  of  the  war,  befriended  each  other  in  many  in- 
stances, and  it  is  said  that  more  than  once  Captain-General 
Campos  owed  his  life  to  his  unacknowledged  relative. 


342 


HIS   BROTHER    CAPTURED. 

The  latter's  half  brother,  Jose  Maceo,  was  captured  early 
in  the  war  and  sent  to  the  African  prison,  Centa ;  whence 
he  escaped  later  on  with  Quintin  Bandera  and  others  of 
his  staff.  The  last  named  Negro  Colonel  is  to-day  a  prom- 
inent figure.  "Quintin  Bandera"  means  "fifteen  flags," 
and  the  appellation  was  bestowed  upon  him  by  his  grateful 
countrymen  after  he  had  captured  fifteen  Spanish  ensigns. 
Everybody  seems  to  have  forgotten  his  real  name,  and 
Quintin  Bandera  he  will  remain  in  history.  While  in  the 
African  penal  settlement  the  daughter  of  a  Spanish  officer 
fell  in  love  with  him.  She  assisted  in  his  escape  and  fled 
with  him  to  Gibraltar.  There  he  married  his  rescuer.  She 
is  of  Spanish  and  Moorish  descent,  and  is  said  to  be  a  lady 
of  education  and  refinement.  She  taught  her  husband  to 
read  and  write  and  feels  unbounded  pride  in  his  achieve- 
ments. 

The  noted  General  Jesus  Rabi,  of  the  Cuban  Army,  is 
of  the  same  mixed  blood  as  the  Maceos.  Another  well- 
known  Negro  commander  is  General  Flor  Crombet,  whose 
patriotic  deeds  have  been  dimmed  by  his  atrocious  cruel- 
ties. Among  all  the  officers  now  swarming  Havana  none 
attracts  more  admiring  attention  than  General  Ducasse,  a 
tall,  fine-looking  mulatto,  who  was  educated  at  the  fine 
military  school  of  St.  Cyr.  He  is  of  extremely  polished 
manners  and  undeniable  force  of  character,  can  make  a 
brilliant  address  and  has  got  influence  among  the  masses. 
To  eject  such  a  man  as  he  from  a  third  rate  foreign  restau- 
rant in  his  own  land  would  be  ridiculous.  His  equally 
celebrated  brother,  Col.  Juan  Ducasse,  was  killed  last  year 
in  the  Pinar  del  Rio  insurrection. 


343 

COLORED   MEN'S  ACHIEVEMENTS. 

Besides  these  sons  of  Mars,  Cuba  has  considered  her  his- 
tory enriched  by  the  achievements  of  colored  men  in  peace- 
ful walks  of  life.  The  memory  of  Gabriel  Concepcion  de 
la  Valdez,  the  mulatto  poet,  is  cherished  as  that  of  a  saint. 
He  was  accused  by  the  Spanish  government  of  complicity 
in  the  slave  insurrection  of  1844  and  condemned  to  be  shot 
in  his  native  town,  Matanzas.  One  bright  morning  in 
May  he  i-tood  by  the  old  statue  of  Ferdinand  VII.  In  the 
Plaza  d' Armas,  calmly  facing  a  row  of  muskets,  along 
whose  shining  barrels  the  sun  glinted.  The  first  volley 
failed  to  touch  a  vital  spot.  Bleeding  from  several  wounds, 
he  still  stood  erect,  and,  pointing  to  his  heart,  said  in  a 
clear  voice,  "Aim  here!"  Another  mulatto  author,  edu- 
cator and  profound  thinker  was  Antonio  Medina,  a  priest 
and  professor  of  San  Basilic  the  Greater.  He  acquired 
wide  reputation  as  a  poet,  novelist  and  ecclesiastic,  both  in 
Spain  and  Cuba,  and  was  selected  by  the  Spanish  Academy 
to  deliver  the  oration  on  the  anniversary  of  Cerantes'  death 
in  Madrid.  His  favorite  Cuban  pupil  was  Juan  Gaulberto 
Gomez,  the  mulatto  journalist,  who  has  been  imprisoned 
time  and  again  for  offences  against  the  Spanish  press  laws. 
Senor  Gomez,  whose  home  is  in  Mantanzas,  is  now  on  the 
shady  side  of  40,  a  spectacled  and  scholarly  looking  man. 
After  the  peace  of  Zanjon  he  collaborated  in  the  periodi- 
cals published  by  the  Marquis  of  Sterling.  In  '97  he 
founded  in  Havana,  the  newspaper  La  Fraternidad,  devoted 
to  the  interests  of  the  colored  race.  For  a  certain  fiery 
editorial  he  was  deported  to  Centa  and  kept  there  two 


344 

years.  Then  he  went  to  Madrid  and  assumed  the  manage- 
ment of  La  Tribuna  and  in  1890  returned  to  Havana  and 
resumed  the  publication  of  La  Fraternidad. 

ANOTHER   EXILE. 

Another  beloved  exile  from  the  land  of  his  birth  is  Senor 
Jose  White.  His  mother  was  a  colored  woman  of  Matan- 
zas.  At  the  age  of  16  Jose  wrote  a  mass  for  the  Matan- 
zas  orchestra,  and  gave  his  first  concert.  With  the  pro- 
ceeds he  entered  the  Conservatory  of  Paris,  and  in  the 
following  year  won  the  first  prize  as  violinist  among  thirty- 
nine  contestants.  He  soon  gained  an  enviable  reputation 
among  the  most  celebrated  European  violinists,  and  covered 
with  honors,  returned  to  Havana  in  January  of  '75.  But 
his  songs  were  sometimes  of  liberty,  and  in  June  of  the 
same  year,  the  Spanish  government  drove  him  out  of  the 
country.  Then  he  went  to  Brazil,  and  is  now  Piesident 
of  the  Conservatory  of  Music  of  Rio  Janeiro. 

One  might  go  on  multiplying  similar  incidents.  Some 
of  the  most  eminent  doctors,  lawyers  and  college  professors 
in  Cuba  are  more  or  less  darkly  "  colored."  In  the  humble 
walks  of  life  one  finds  them  everywhere,  as  carpenters, 
masons,  shoemakers  and  plumbers.  In  the  few  manufac- 
tories of  Cuba  a  large  proportion  of  the  workmen  are 
Negroes,  especially  in  the  cigar  factories.  In  the  tanneries 
of  Pinar  del  Rio  most  of  the  workmen  are  colored,  also  in 
the  saddle  factories  of  Havana,  Guanabacoa,  Cardenas,  and 
other  places.  Although  the  insurgent  army  is  not  yet  dis- 
banded, the  sugar-planters  get  plenty  of  help  from  their 
ranks  by  offering  fair  wages. — New  York  Sun. 


345 
FACTS  ABOUT  PORTO  RICO  TOLD  IN  SHORT  PARAGRAPHS. 

Porto  Rico,  the  beautiful  island  which  General  Miles  is 
taking  under  the  American  flag,  has  an  area  of  3,530  square 
miles.  It  is  107  miles  in  length  and  37  miles  across.  It 
has  a  good  telegraph  line  and  a  railroad  only  partially 
completed. 

The  population,  which  is  not  made  up  of  so  many  Ne- 
groes and  mulattoes  as  that  of  the  neighboring  islands,  is 
about  900,000.  Almost  all  of  the  inhabitants  are  Roman 
Catholics. 

It  is  a  mountainous  island,  and  contains  forty-seven  navi- 
gable streams.  The  roads  are  merely  paths  beaten  down 
by  cattle. 

Exports  in  1887  were  valued  at  $10,181,291;  imports, 
$10,198,006. 

Gold,  copper,  salt,  coal  and  iron  abound. 

The  poorer  classes  live  almost  entirely  on  a  variety  of 
highland  rice,  which  is  easily  cultivated,  as  it  requires  no 
flooding. 

One  of  the  principal  industries  is  grazing.  St.  Thomas 
is  the  market  for  fresh  meat. 

Corn,  tobacco,  sugar,  coffee,  cotton  and  potatoes  consti- 
tute the  principal  crops. 

There  are  no  snakes,  no  beasts  of  prey,  no  noxious  birds 
nor  insects  in  the  island. 

The  trees  and  grass  are  always  green. 

Rats  are  the  great  foe  of  the  crops. 

The  natives  often  live  to  be  one  hundred  years  old. 

The  most  beautiful  flower  on  the  island  is  the  ortegon, 
which  has  purple  blossoms  a  yard  long. 


346 

Hurricanes  are  frequent  on  the  north  coast  and  very  de- 
structive. 

Mosquitoes  are  the  pest  of  the  island. 

Spanish  is  the  language  spoken,  and  education  is  but 
little  esteemed. 

Every  man,  no  matter  how  poor,  owns  a  horse  and  three 
or  four  game  cocks. 

The  small  planter  is  called  "  Xivaro."  He  is  the  proud 
possessor  of  a  sweetheart,  a  game  cock,  a  horse,  a  hammock, 
a  guitar  and  a  large  supply  of  tobacco.  He  is  quick  tem- 
pered but  not  revengeful,  and  he  is  proverbially  lazy. 

Hospitality  is  the  rule  of  the  island.  The  peasants  are 
astonished  and  hurt  when  offered  money  by  travellers.  San 
Juan  Harbor  is  one  of  the  best  in  the  West  Indies,  and  is 
said  to  be  the  third  most  strongly  fortified  town  in  the 
world,  Halifax  being  the  strongest  and  Cartagena,  Spain, 
the  second. 

Ponce  de  L,eon,  between  1509  and  1518,  killed  off  the 
natives. 

The  De  Leon  palace,  built  in  1511,  is  of  great  interest  to 
tourists. 

The  climate  is  warm  but  pleasant.  At  night  thick  cloth- 
ing is  found  comfortable. 

All  visiting  and  shopping  is  done  after  sundown. 

Slavery  was  abolished  in  1873. 

The  woman  are  rather  small  and  delicately  formed. 
Many  of  them  are  pretty  and  they  are  all  given  to  flirtation. 

Men  and  women  ride  horseback  alike.  Wicker  baskets, 
to  carry  clothes  or  provisions,  are  hung  on  either  side  of 
the  horse's  shoulders.  Back  of  these  baskets'the  rider  sits. 


347 

It  is  the  custom  of  travellers  on  horseback  to  carry  a 
basket-handled  sword  a  yard  and  a  quarter  long,  more  as 
an  ornament  than  as  a  means  of  defense. 

The  observance  of  birthdays  is  an  island  fashion  that  is 
followed  by  everyone. 

A  Governor,  appointed  by  the  Crown,  manages  affairs. 
His  palace  is  at  San  Juan,  the  capital,  a  town  that  has 
24,000  inhabitants. 

Upon  the  Rio  Grande  are  prehistoric  monuments  that 
have  attracted  the  attention  of  archaeologists. 

Following  the  Spanish  custom,  men  are  imprisoned  for 
debt. 

In  the  towns,  houses  are  built  with  flat  roofs,  both  to 
catch  water  and  to  afford  the  family  a  small  roof  garden. 

All  planters  have  town  houses  where  they  bring  their 
families  during  the  carnival  season. 

San  Juan  is  filled  with  adventurers,  gamblers,  speculators 
and  fugitives  from  justice. — J\eiv  York  World. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


LIST  OF  COLORED  REGIMENTS  THAT  DID  ACTIVE  SERVICE 

IX  THE  SPANISH-AMERICAN  WAR,— AND 

VOLUNTEER  REGIMENTS. 

Regulars. — Section  1104  of  the  Revised  Statutes  of  the 
United  States  Congress  provides  that  "  the  enlisted  men  of 
two  regiments  of  Cavalry  shall  be  colored  men,"  and  in 
compliance  with  this  section  the  War  Department  main- 
tains the  organization  of  the  Ninth  and  Tenth  Cavalry, 
both  composed  of  colored  men  with  white  officers. 

Section  1108  of  the  Revised  Statutes  of  Congress  pro- 
vides that  "  the  enlisted  men  of  two  regiments  of  Infantry 
shall  be  colored  men ;  "  and  in  compliance  with  this  section 
the  War  Department  maintains  the  organization  of  the 
Twenty-fourth  and  Twenty-fifth  Infantry,  both  composed 
of  colored  men  with  white  officers. 

The  above  regiments  were  the  only  colored  troops  that 
were  engaged  in  active  service  in  Cuba.  There  is  no  stat- 
ute requiring  colored  artillery  regiments  to  be  organized, 
and  there  are,  therefore,  none  in  the  regular  army. 


A  LIST  OF  VOLUNTEER  REGIMENTS. 

Third  North  Carolina — All  colored  officers. 

Sixth  Virginia — White  officers.  Finally  the  colored  offi- 
cers resigned  "under  pressure,"  after  which  there  was  much 
trouble  with  the  men,  as  they  claimed  to  have  enlisted 


349 


with  the  understanding  that  they  were  to  have  colored 
officers. 

Ninth  Ohio — All  colored  officers ;  Colonel,  Chas.  Young, 
graduate  of  West  Point. 

Twenty-third  Kansas — Colored  officers. 

Eighth  Illinois — Under  colored  officers,  and  did  police 
duty  at  San  Luis,  Cuba. 

Seventh  U.  S.  Volunteers. 

Tenth  U.  S.  Volunteers. 

Eighth  U.  S.  Volunteers. 

Ninth  U.  S.  Volunteers. 

The  conduct  of  the  colored  volunteers  has  been  harshly 
criticised,  and  it  is  thought  by  some  that  the  conduct  of 
the  volunteers  has  had  some  influence  in  derogation  of  the 
good  record  made  by  the  regulars  around  Santiago.  This 
view,  however,  we  think  unjust  and  ill-founded.  There 
was  considerable  shooting  of  pistols  and  drunkenness  among 
some  regiments  of  volunteers,  and  it  was  not  confined  by 
any  means  to  those  of  the  colored  race.  The  white  volun- 
teers were  as  drunk  and  noisy  as  the  colored,  and  shot  as 
many  pistols. 

The  Charlotte  Observer  has  the  following  editorial  con- 
cerning some  white  troops  that  passed  through  Charlotte, 
N.  C.: 

"  Mustered-out  West  Virginia  and  New  York  volunteer 
soldiers  who  passed  through  this  city  Saturday  night  be- 
haved, on  the  train  and  here,  like  barbarians,  disgracing 
their  uniforms,  their  States  and  themselves.  They  were 
drunk  and  disorderly,  and  their  firing  of  pistols,  destruction 


352 

of  property  and  theft  of  edibles  was  not  as  bad  as  their  out- 
rageous profanity  and  obscenity  on  the  cars  in  the  hearing 
of  ladies.  Clearly  they  are  brutes  when  sober  and  whiskey 
only  developed  the  vileness  already  in  them." 

By  a  careful  comparison  of  the  reports  in  the  newspapers 
we  see  a  slight  excess  of  rowdyism  on  the  part  of  the  whites, 
but  much  less  fuss  made  about  it.  In  traveling  from  place 
to  place,  if  a  white  volunteer  company  fired  a  few  shots  in 
the  air,  robbed  a  fruit  stand,  or  fussed  with  the  bystanders 
at  railroad  stations,  or  drank  whiskey  at  the  car  windows, 
the  fact  was  simply  mentioned  in  the  morning  papers,  but 
if  a  Negro  company  fired  a  pistol  a  telegram  was  sent  ahead 
to  have  mobs  in  readiness  to  "  do  up  the  niggers  "  at  the 
next  station,  and  at  one  place  in  Georgia  the  militia  was 
called  out  by  a  telegram  sent  ahead,  and  discharged  a  vol- 
ley into  the  car  containing  white  officers  and  their  families, 
so  eager  were  they  to  "do  up  the  nigger."  At  Nashville 
the  city  police  are  reported  to  have  charged  through  the 
train,  clubbing  the  colored  volunteers  who  were  returning 
home,  and  taking  anything  in  the  shape  of  a  weapon  away 
from  them  by  force.  In  Texarkana,  or  thereabouts,  it  was 
reported  that  a  train  of  colored  troopers  was  blown  up  by 
dynamite.  The  Southern  mobs  seemed  to  pride  themselves 
in  assaulting  the  colored  soldiers. 

While  the  colored  volunteers  were  not  engaged  in  active 
warfare,  yet  they  attained  a  high  degree  of  discipline,  and 
the  cleanest  and  most  orderly  camp  among  any  of  the  vol- 
unteers was  reported  by  the  chief  sanitary  officer  of  the 
government  to  be  that  of  one  of  the  colored  volunteer  regi- 
ments stationed  in  Virginia.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  the 


353 

colored  volunteers,  especially  those  under  Negro  officers, 
did  not  have  an  opportunity  to  show  their  powers  on  the 
battlefield,  and  thus  demonstrate  their  ability  as  soldiers, 
and  so  refreshen  the  memory  of  the  nation  as  to  what  Ne- 
gro soldiers  once  did  at  Fort  Wagner  and  Milikin's  Bend. 
The  volunteer  boys  were  ready  and  willing  and  only  needed 
a  chance  to  show  what  they  could  do. 


POLICED  BY  NEGKOES. 

White  Immunes    Ordered  out  of  Santiago,  and  a  Colored  Regiment  Placed  in 

Charge. 

WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  Aug.  17,  1898. 
EDITOR  COLORED  AMERICAN  : — The  Star  of  this  city 
published  the  following  dispatch  in  its  issue  of  the  i6th 
inst.  The  Washington  Post  next  morning  published  the 
same  dispatch,  omitting  the  last  paragraph ;  and  yet  the 
Post  claims  to  publish  the  news,  whether  pleasing  or  other- 
wise. The  selection  of  the  8th  Illinois  colored  regiment 
for  this  important  duty,  to  replace  a  disorderly  white  regi. 
ment,  is  a  sufficient  refutation  of  a  recent  editorial  in  the 
Post,  discrediting  colored  troops  with  colored  officers.  The 
Eighth  Illinois  is  a  colored  regiment  from  Colonel  down. 
The  Generals  at  the  front  know  the  value  of  Negro  troops, 
whether  the  quill-drivers  in  the  rear  do  or  not. 

CHARLES  R.  DOUGLASS. 

The   following   is   the   dispatch   referred   to  by   Major 
Douglass.     The  headlines  of  the  Star  are  retained. 


354 

Immunes  Made  Trouble— General  Shatter  Orders  the  Second  Regiment  Outside 

the  Cify  of  Santiago— Colored  Troops  From  Illinois  Assigned  to  the 

Duty  of  Preserving  Order  and  Property. 

SANTIAGO  DE  CUBA,  Aug.  16. — General  Shafter  to-day 
ordered  the  Second  Volunteer  Regiment  of  Immunes  to 
leave  the  city  and  go  into  camp  outside. 

The  regiment  had  been  placed  here  as  a  garrison,  to 
preserve  order  and  protect  property.  There  has  been  fir- 
ing of  arms  inside  of  the  town  by  members  of  this  regi- 
ment, without  orders,  so  far  as  known.  Some  of  the  men 
have  indulged  in  liquor  until  they  have  verged  upon 
acts  of  license  and  disorder.  The  inhabitants  in  some 
quarters  have  alleged  loss  of  property  by  force  and  intimi- 
dation, and  there  has  grown  up  a  feeling  of  uneasiness,  if 
not  alarm  concerning  them.  General  Shafter  has,  there- 
fore, ordered  this  regiment  into  the  hills,  where  discipline 
can  be  more  severely  maintained. 

In  place  of  the  Second  Volunteer  Immune  Regiment, 
General  Shafter  has  ordered  into  the  city  the  Eighth  Illi- 
nois Volunteer  Regiment  of  colored  troops,  in  whose  so- 
briety and  discipline  he  has  confidence,  and  of  whose  sturdy 
enforcement  of  order  no  doubt  is  felt  by  those  in  command. 


SKETCH  OF  SIXTH  VIRGINIA  VOLUNTEERS. 

The  Sixth  Virginia  Volunteer  Infantry,  U.  S.  V.,  con- 
sisted of  two  battalions,  first  and  second  Battalion  Infantry 
Virginia  Volunteers  (State  militia),  commanded  respectively 
by  Maj.  J.  B.  Johnson  and  Maj.  W.  H.  Johnson.  In  April, 
1898,  the  war  cloud  was  hanging  over  the  land.  Gover- 


MAJOR  JOHN   R.  I,YNCH,  PAYMASTER   IN   U.  S.  ARMY. 


355 


357 

nor  J.  Hoge  Tyler,  of  Virginia,  under  instructions  from 
the  War  Department,  sent  to  all  Virginia  Volunteers  in- 
quiring how  many  men  in  the  respective  commands  were 
willing  to  enlist  in  the  United  States  volunteer  service  in 
the  war  against  Spain. 

How  many  would  go  in  or  out  of  the  United  States. 


COMMONWEALTH  OF  VIRGINIA, 
ADJUTANT  GENERAL'S  OFFICE, 
RICHMOND,  VA.,  April  ipth,  1898. 
General  Order  No.  8. 

I.  Commanding  officers  of  companies  of  Virginia  Vol- 
unteers will,  immediately,  upon  the  receipt  by  them  of  this 
order,  assemble  their  respective  companies  and  proceed  to 
ascertain  and  report  direct  to  this    office,  upon  the  form 
herewith  sent  and  by  letter,  what  officers  and  enlisted  men 
of  their  companies  will  volunteer  for  service  in  and  with 
the  volunteer  forces  of  the  United  States  (not  ii  the  regu- 
lar army)  with  the  distinct  understanding  that  such  volun- 
teer forces,  or  any  portion  thereof,  may  be  ordered  and  re- 
quired to  perform  service  either  in  or  out  of  the  United 
States,  and  that  such  officer  or  enlisted  man  so  volunteer- 
ing, agrees  and  binds  himself  to,  without  question,  prom- 
ptly obey  all  orders  emanating  from  the  proper  officers, 
and  to  render  such  service  as  he  may  be  required  to  per- 
form,   either    within  or  beyond  the  limits  of  the  United 
States. 

II.  The  Brigade  Commander  and  the  Regimental  and 
Battalion  Commanders  will,  without  delay,  obtain  like  in- 


358 

formation  and  make,  direct  to  this  office,  similar  reports, 
to  those  above  required,  with  regard  to  their  respective 
field,  staff  and  non-commissioned  staff  officers  and  regi- 
mental or  battalion  bands,  adopting  the  form  herewith  sent 
to  the  regiments. 

III.  By  reason  of  the  necessity  in  this  matter,  this  order 
is  sent  direct,  with  copies  to  intermediate  commanders. 

By  order  of  the  Governor  and  Commander-in- Chief. 

WM.  NALLEE, 
Adjutant-General. 

The  companies  of  the  First  Battalion  of  Richmond  and 
Second  Battalion  of  Petersburg  and  Norfolk  were  the  first 
to  respond  to  the  call  and  express  a  readiness  to  go  any- 
where in  or  out  of  the  States  with  their  own  officers,  upon 
these  conditions  they  were  immediately  accepted,  and  the 
following  order  was  issued  : 

COMMONWEALTH  OF  VIRGINIA, 
ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S  OFFICE, 

RICHMOND,  VA.,  April  23,  1898. 
General  Orders  No.  9. 

The  commanding  officers  of  such  companies  as  will 
volunteer  for  service  in  the  volunteer  army  of  the  United 
States  will  at  once  proceed  to  recruit  their  respective  com- 
panies to  at  least  eighty-four  enlisted  men.  Any  company 
volunteering  as  a  body,  for  such  service,  will  be  mustered 
in  with  its  own  officers. 

By  order  of  the  Governor  and  Commander-in-Chief. 
(Signed)  W.  NALLEE, 

Adjutant-General. 


359 

Under  date  of  June  i,  1898,  S.  O.  59,  A.  G.  O.,  Rich- 
mond, Va.,  was  issued  directly  to  the  commanding  officers 
of  the  First  and  Second  Battalion  (colored),  who  had  been 
specially  designated  by  the  President  in  his  call,  ordering 
them  to  take  the  necessary  steps  to  recruit  the  companies 
of  the  respective  battalions  to  eighty-three  men  per  com- 
pany, directing  that  care  be  taken,  to  accept  only  men  of 
good  repute  and  able-bodied,  and  that  as  soon  as  recruited 
the  fact  should  be  reported  by  telegraph  to  the  Adjutant- 
General  of  the  State. 

July  15,  1898,  Company  "A,"  Attucks  Guard,  was  the 
first  company  to  arrive  at  Camp  Corbin,  Va.t  ten  miles 
below  Richmond.  The  company  had  three  officers  ;  Capt 
W.  A.  Hawkins,  First  Lieutenant  J.  C.  Smith,  Lieutenant 
John  Parham. 

The  other  companies  followed  in  rapid  succession.  Com- 
pany UB"  (Carney  Guard),  Capt.  C.  B.  Nicholas ;  First 
Lieutenant,  L.  J.  Wyche ;  Second  Lieutenant,  J.  W.  Gilpin. 
Company  "  C "  (State  Guard),  Capt.  B.  A.  Graves ;  First 
Lieutenant,  S.  B.  Randolph ;  Second  Lieutenant,  W.  H. 
Anderson.  Company  "D"  (Langston  Guard),  Capt.  B.  W. 
Gould ;  First  Lieutenant,  Chas.  H.  Robinson,  Second  Lieu- 
tenant, Geo.  W.  Foreman.  Company  "E"  (Petersburg 
Guard),  Capt.  J.  E.  Hill;  First  Lieutenant,  J.  H.  Hill; 
Second  Lieutenant,  Fred.  E.  Mangrum.  Company  "  F " 
(Petersburg),  Capt.  Pleasant  Webb ;  First  Lieutenant,  Jno. 
K.  Rice ;  Second  Lieutenant,  Richard  Hill.  Company  "  G," 
Capt.  J.  A.  Stephens ;  First  Lieutenant,  E.  Thomas  Walker, 
Second  Lieutenant,  David  Worrell.  Company  "  H,"  Capt. 
Peter  Shepperd,  Jr.;  First  Lieutenant,  Jas.  M.  Collins ;  Sec- 


36° 

ond  Lieutenant,  Geo.  T.  Wright.  The  regiment  consisted 
of  only  eight  companies,  two  battalions,  commanded  respect- 
ively by  Major  J.  B.  Johnson  and  Major  W.  H.  Johnson, 
commanded  by  Lieutenant  Colonel  Richard  C.  Croxton,  of 
the  First  United  States  Infantry.  First  Lieutenant,  Chas. 
R.  Alexander,  was  Surgeon.  Second  Lieutenant,  Allen  J. 
Black,  Assistant  Surgeon. 

Lieutenant  W.  H.  Anderson,  Company  "  C,"  was  detailed 
as  Adjutant,  Ordinance  Officer  and  Mustering  Officer. 

Lieutenant  J.  H.  Gilpin,  Company  "  B,"  was  detailed  as 
Quartermaster  and  Commissary  of  Subsist ance. 

On  Monday,  September  12,  1898,  the  command  left 
Camp  Corbin,  Va.,  and  embarked  for  Knoxville,  Tenn., 
about  10  o'clock,  the  men  travelling  in  day  coaches  and  the 
officers  in  Pullman  sleepers.  The  train  was  in  two  sections. 
Upon  arrival  at  Knoxville  the  command  was  sent  to  Camp 
Poland,  near  the  Fourteenth  Michigan  Regiment,  who  were 
soon  mustered  out.  A  few  days  after  the  arrival  of  the 
Sixth  Virginia  the  Third  North  Carolina  arrived,  a  full 
regiment  with  every  officer  a  Negro.  While  here,  in  order 
to  get  to  the  city,  our  officers,  Wagons  and  men  had  to  pass 
the  Camp  of  the  First  Georgia  Regiment,  and  it  was  quite 
annoying  to  have  to  suffer  from  unnecessary  delays  in  stores 
and  other  things  to  which  the  men  were  subject. 

After  the  review  by  General  Alger,  Secretary  of  War, 
the  Colonel  of  the  Sixth  Virginia  received  permission  from 
headquarters  of  Third  Brigade,  Second  Division,  First 
Army  Corps,  General  Rosser  commanding,  to  move  the 
camp  a  point  nearer  to  the  city,  which  was  granted.  Soon 
after  the  arrival  of  the  Third  North  Carolina  Regiment 


MAJOR   B.  R.  WRIGHT,  PAYMASTER  IN  U.  S.  ARMY. 


361 


363 

the  First  Georgia  seemed  disposed  to  attack  the  colored 
soldiers,  so  on  a  beautiful  September  evening  some  shots 
were  fired  into  their  camp  by  the  First  Georgia  men  and 
received  quick  response.  After  the  little  affair  four  Geor- 
gians were  missing.  The  matter  was  investigated,  the 
First  Georgia  was  placed  under  arrest. 

After  the  removal  to  a  new  portion  of  Camp  Poland 
orders  were  received  from  the  headquarters  First  Army 
Corps,  Lexington,  Ky.,  ordering  a  board  of  examiners  for 
the  following  officers  of  the  Sixth  Virginia  :  Maj.  W.  H. 
Johnson,  Second  Battalion ;  Capt.  C.  B.  Nicholas,  Capt.  J. 
E.  Hill,  Capt.  J.  A.  C.  Stevens,  Capt.  E.  W.  Gould,  Capt. 
Peter  Shepperd,  Jr.,  Lieutenants  S.  B.  Randolph,  Geo.  T. 
Wright  and  David  Worrell  for  examination  September  20, 
1898,  each  officer  immediately  tendered  his  resignation, 
which  was  at  once  accepted  by  the  Secretary  of  War. 

Under  the  rules  governing  the  volunteer  army,  when 
vacancies  occurred  by  death,  removal,  resignation  or  other- 
wise, the  Colonel  of  a  regiment  had  the  power  to  recom- 
mend suitable  officers  or  men  to  fill  the  vacancies  by  pro- 
motions, and  the  Governor  would  make  the  appointment 
with  the  approval  of  the  Secretary  of  War.  Many  of  the 
men  had  high  hopes  of  gaining  a  commission  ;  many  of  the 
most  worthy  young  men  of  the  State,  who  left  their  peace- 
ful vocations  for  the  rough  service  of  war,  for  they  were 
students,  bookkeepers,  real  estate  men,  merchants,  clerks 
and  artists  who  responded  to  their  country's  call — all  look- 
ing to  a  much  desired  promotion.  But  after  many  con- 
flicting stories  as  to  what  would  be  done  and  much  parley- 
ing on  the  part  of  the  recommending  power,  who  said  that 


364 

there  was  none  in  the  regiment  qualified  for  the  promotion. 
And  thereupon  the  Governor  appointed  white  officers  to 
fill  the  vacancies  created.  A  copy  of  the  following  was 
sent  to  the  Governor  of  Virginia  through  u  military  chan- 
nels "  but  never  reached  him  ;  also  to  the  Adjutant-General 
of  the  army  through  military  channels : 

SIXTH  VIRGINIA  VOLUNTEER  INFANTRY, 

SECOND  BATTALION,  COLORED, 
CAMP  POLAND,  TENN.,  October  27,  1898. 
To  the  Adjutant-General,   U.  S.  Army, 

Washington,  D.  C. 

SIR — We,  the  undersigned  officers  of  the  Sixth  Virginia 
Volunteer  Infantry,  stationed  at  Camp  Poland,  Knoxville, 
Tenn.,  have  the  honor  to  respectfully  submit  to  you  the 
following : 

Nine  officers  of  this  command  who  had  served  the  State 
militia  for  a  period  ranging  from  five  to  twenty  years  were 
ordered  examined.  They  resigned  for  reasons  best  known 
to  themselves.  We,  the  remaining  officers,  were  sanguine 
that  Negro  officers*  would  be  appointed  to  fill  these  vacan- 
cies, and  believe  they  can  be  had  from  the  rank  and  file,  as 
the  men  in  the  various  companies  enlisted  with  the  distinct 
understanding  that  they  would  be  commanded  by  Negro 
officers.  We  now  understand  through  various  sources  that 
white  officers  have  been,  or  are  to  be,  appointed  to  fill  these 
vacancies,  to  which  we  seriously  and  respectfully  protest, 
because  our  men  are  dissatisfied.  The  men  feel  that  the 
policy  inaugurated  as  to  this  command  should  remain,  and 
we  fear  if  there  is  a  change  it  will  result  disastrously  to  one 


365 

of  the  best  disciplined  commands  in  the  volunteer  service. 
They  are  unwilling  to  be  commanded  by  white  officers  and 
object  to  do  what  they  did  not  agree  to  at  first.  That  is 
to  be  commanded  by  any  other  than  officers  of  the  same 
color.  We  furthermore  believe  that  should  the  appoint- 
ments be  confirmed  there  will  be  a  continual  friction  be- 
tween the  officers  and  men  of  the  two  races  as  has  been 
foretold  by  our  present  commanding  officer.  We  express 
the  unanimous  and  sincere  desire  of  seven  hundred  and 
ninety-one  men  in  the  command  to  be  mustered  out  rather 
than  submit  to  the  change. 

We  therefore  pray  that  the  existing  vacancies  be  filled 
from  the  rank  and  file  of  the  command  or  by  men  of  color. 
To  all  of  which  we  most  humbly  pray. 

(Signed)  J.  B.  JOHNSON,  Major  6th  Va.  Vol.  Inf, 

PLEASANT  WEBB,  Capt.  6th  Va.  Vol.  Inf. 

BENJ.  A.  GRAVES,  Capt.  6th  Va.  Vol.  Inf. 

JAS.  C.  SMITH,  6th  Va.  Vol.  Inf.,  ist  Lt. 

L.  J.  WYCHE,  ist  Lt.  6th  Va.  Vol.  Inf. 

CHAS.  H  ROBINSON,  ist.  Lt.  6th  Va.  Vol. 

JOHN  H.  HILL,  ist  Lt.  6th  Va.  Vol.  Inf. 

JNO.  K.  RICE,  ist  Lt.  6th  Va.  Vol.  Inf. 

EDWIN  T.  WALKER,  ist  Lt.  6th  Va.  Vol. 

C.  R.  ALEXANDER,  ist  Lt.  and  Surg.  6th  Va. 
Vol.  Inf. 

JOHN  PARHAM,  2d  Lt.  6th  Va.  Vol.  Inf. 

JAS.  ST.  GILPIN,  2d  Lt.  6th  Va.  Vol.  Inf. 

W.  H.  ANDERSON,  2d  Lt.  6th  Va.  Vol.  Inf. 

GEORGE  W.  FOREMAN,  2d  Lt.  6th  Va.  Vol.  Inf. 

FREDERICK  E.  MANGRUM,   2d  Lt.  6th  Va. 
Vol.  Inf. 

RICHARD  HILL,  2d  Lt.  6th  Va.  Vol.  Inf. 

JAMES  M.  COLLIN,  2d.  Lt.  6th  Va.  Vol.  Inf. 


366 

FIRST   ENDORSEMENT. 

HEADQUARTERS  6th  VA.  VOL.  INF. 

SECOND  BATTALION,  COLORED, 
CAMP  POLAND,  TENN.,fOct.  28,  189$. 
Respectfully  forwarded. 

I  have  explained  to  the  officers  who  signed  this  paper 
that  their  application  is  absurd,  but  they  seem  unable  to 
see  the  points  involved. 

The  statement  within  that  791  men  prefer  to  be  mus- 
tered out  rather  than  serve  under  white  officers  is  based 
upon  the  alleged  reports  that  each  First  Sergeant  stated 
to  his  Captain  that  all  the  men  of  the  company  were  of 
that  opinion.  The  statement  that  the  men  "  enlisted  with 
the  understanding  that  they  would  be  commanded  entirely 
by  Negro  officers,"  seems  to  be  based  upon  the  fact  that 
when  these  companies  were  called  upon  by  the  State  au- 
thorities they  volunteered  for  service,  etc.,  u  with  our  pres- 
ent officers."  These  officers  (9  of  them)  have  since  re- 
signed and  their  places  filled  by  the  Governor  of  Virginia 
with  white  officers. 

These  latter  have  not  yet  reported  for  duty. 
Further  comment  seems  as  unnecessary  as  the  applica- 
tion itself  is  useless. 

(Signed)  R.  C.  CROXTON, 

Lt.  Col.  6th  Va.  Vol.  Inf.  Com'd'g. 


367 
SECOND  ENDORSEMENT. 

HEADQUARTERS  THIRD  BRIGADE, 
SECOND  DIVISION,  FIRST  ARMY  CORPS, 
CAMP  POLAND,  TENN.,  Oct.  29,  1898. 

Respectfully  forwarded.  Disapproved  as  under  the  law 
creating  the  present  volunteer  forces  the  Governor  of  Vir- 
ginia is  the  only  authority  who  can  appoint  the  officers  of 
the  6th  Va.  Vol.  Inf. 

(Signed)  JAMES  H.  YOUNG, 

Col.  3d  N.  C.  Vol.  Inf.  Com'd'g.  Brigade. 


THIRD  ENDORSEMENT. 

HEADQUARTERS  SECOND  DIVISION, 

FIRST  ARMY  CORPS, 
CAMP  POLAND,  KNOXVILLE,  TENN.,  Oct.  31,  1898. 

Respectfully  returned  to  the  Commanding  General, 
Third  Brigade. 

The  enclosed  communication  is  in  form  and  substance 
so  contrary  to  all  military  practice  and  traditions  that  it  is 
returned  to  file  at  Regimental  Headquarters,  6th  Va.  Vol. 
Infantry. 

By  command  of  Col.  Kuert. 

(Signed)  Louis  V.  CAZIARC, 

Assistant  Adjutant-General. 


368 

FOURTH  ENDORSEMENT. 

HEADQUARTERS  THIRD  BRIGADE, 
SECOND  DIVISION,  FIRST  ARMY  CORPS. 
Respectfully  transmitted  to  C.  O.,  6th  Virginia,  inviting 
attention  to  preceding  Inst. 
By  order  of  Col.  Young. 

4       (Signed)  A.  B.  COLLIER, 

Captain  Assistant  Adjutant-General. 


A  NEW  LIEUTENANT  FOR  THE  SIXTH  VIRGINIA. 

October  31,  1898,  the  monthly  muster  was  in  progress. 
There  appeared  in  the  camp  a  new  Lieutenant — Lieutenant 
Jno.  W.  Healey — formerly  Sergeant-Major  in  the  regular 
army.  This  was  the  first  positive  evidence  that  white  of- 
ficer would  be  assigned  to  this  regiment.  This  was  about 
9  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  at  Knoxville  later  in  the  day, 
there  were  more  arrivals.  Then  it  was  published  that  the 
following  changes  and  appointments  were  made  : 

Company  D,  First  Battalion,  was  transferred  to  the  Sec- 
ond Battalion ;  Company  F,  of  the  Second  Battalion,  trans- 
ferred to  the  First  Battalion. 

Major  E.  E.  Cobell  commanding  Second  Battalion, 

Captain  R.  L.  E.  Masurier,  commanding  Company  D. 

Captain  W.  S.  Faulkner,  commanding  Company  E. 

Captain  J.  W.  Bentley,  commanding  Company  G. 

Captain  S.  T.  Moore,  commanding-  Company  H. 

First  Lieutenant  John  W.  Healey  to  Company  H. 

First  Lieutenant  A.  L.  Moncure  to  Company  G. 


369 

Second  Lieutenant  Geo.  W.  Richardson,  Company  G. 

First  Lieutenant  Edwin  T.  Walker  transferred  to  Com- 
pany C. 

November  ist  officers  attempted  to  take  charge  of  the 
men,  who  offered  no  violence  at  all,  but,  by  their  manner 
and  conduct,  it  appeared  too  unpleasant  and  unsafe  for 
these  officers  to  remain,  so  tendered  their  resignations,  but 
they  were  withheld  for  a  day. 

The  next  day,  November  2,  1898,  it  was  thought  best 
that  the  colored  Captains  and  Lieutenants  should  drill  the 
companies  at  the  9  o'clock  drill.  While  on  the  field  "  re- 
call "  was  sounded  and  the  companies  were  brought  to  the 
headquarters  and  formed  a  street  column.  General  Bates, 
commanding  the  corps,  and  his  staff;  Col.  Kuert,  com- 
manding the  brigade,  and  brigade  staff ;  Maj.  Louis  V.  Ca- 
ziarc,  Assistant  Adjutant-General ;  Lieut-Col.  Croxton  and 
Maj.  Johnson  were  all  there  and  spoke  to  the  men.  CoL 
Kuert  said :  "  Gentlemen,  as  commanding  officer  of  the 
brigade,  I  appear  before  you  to-day  asking  you  to  do  your 
duty ;  to  be  good  soldiers,  to  remember  your  oath  of  elist- 
ment,  and  to  be  careful  as  to  the  step  you  take,  for  it  might 
cost  you  your  life ;  that  there  are  enough  soldiers  at  my 
command  to  force  you  into  submission  should  you  resist. 
Now,  if  you  intend  to  accept  the  situation  and  submit  to 
these  officers  placed  over  you,  at  my  command,  you  come 
to  a  right  shoulder,  and  if  you  have  any  grievance,  imagi- 
nary or  otherwise,  present  through  proper  military  chan- 
nels, and  if  they  are  proper,  your  wrongs  will  be  adjusted. 
Right  shoulder,  arms  !  " 


370 

Did  not  a  man  move.  He  then  ordered  them  to  be  taken 
back  to  their  company  street  and  to  "stack  arms." 

Before  going  to  the  company  street  Major  Caziarc  spoke 
to  the  men  as  follows :  "  Forty  years  ago  no  Negro  could 
bear  arms  or  wear  the  blue.  You  cannot  disgrace  the  blue, 
but  can  make  yourselves  unworthy  to  wear  it." 

Then  Major  J.  B.  Johnson  spoke  to  the  men  and  urged 
upon  them  to  keep  in  mind  the  oath  of  enlistment  (which 
he  read  to  them)  in  which  they  swore  that  they  would 
"obey  all  officers  placed  over  them;"  that  since  the  ap- 
pointments had  been  made,  there  was  nothing  for  them  to 
do  but  to  accept  the  situation. 

At  the  conclusion  of  Major  Johnson's  talk  to  the  men, 
Private  Badger,  regimental  tailor,  stepped  to  the  front  and 
gave  the  "  rifle  salute  "  and  asked  permission  to  say  a  word. 
It  was  granted.  He  said  :  "  When  we  enlisted  we  under- 
stood that  we  would  go  with  our  colored  officers  anywhere 
in  or  out  of  this  country,  and  when  vacancies  occurred  we 
expected  and  looked  for  promotion  as  was  the  policy  of  the 
Governor  of  Virginia  toward  other  Virginia  regiments.  He 
was  told  that  if  the  men  had  any  grievance  they  could 
present  it  through  military  channels  and  it  would  be  looked 
into." 

They  never  accepted  Major  Johnson's  advice,  returned  to 
their  company  streets  and  were  allowed  to  keep  their  guns. 
The  ordnance  officer  was  ordered  to  take  all  ammunition 
to  the  camp  of  the  Thirty-first  Michigan  and  place  it  in  the 
guard-house. 

The  men  had  the  freedom  and  pass  privilege  to  and  from 
the  city. 


MAJOR  J.  B.  JOHNSON. 


371 


373 

November  i9th  the  command  was  ordered  to  Macon,  Ga., 
arriving  at  Camp  Haskell  next  day,  with  820  men  and  27 
officers. 

Near  the  camp  of  the  Sixth  Virginia  was  that  of  the 
Tenth  Immune  Regiment,  in  which  were  many  Virginia 
boys,  some  of  whom  had  been  members  of  some  of  the  com- 
panies of  the  Sixth. 

Some  irresponsible  person  cut  down  a  tree  upon  which 
several  men  had  been  lynched.  The  blame  naturally  fell 
upon  the  Sixth  Virginia.  The  regiment  was  placed  under 
arrest  and  remained  so  for  nineteen  days.  The  first  day 
the  Third  Engineers  guarded  the  camp,  but  General  Wil- 
son, the  Corps  commander,  removed  them  and  put  colored 
soldiers  to  guard  them.  On  the  night  of  November  2Oth. 
at  a  late  hour,  the  camp  was  surrounded  by  all  the  troops 
available,  while  the  men  were  asleep  and  the  regiment  was 
disarmed. 

While  all  this  was  going  on  the  Thirty-first  Michigan 
Regiment  had  been  deployed  into  line  behind  a  hill  on  the 
north  and  the  Fourth  Tennessee  had  been  drawn  up  in 
line  on  the  east  side  of  the  camp,  ready  to  fire  should  any 
resistance  be  offered. 

The  men  quietly  submitted  to  this  strange  procedure, 
and  did  not  know  that  Gatling  guns  had  been  conveniently 
placed  at  hand  to  mow  them  down  had  they  shown  any 
resistance.  The  Southern  papers  called  them  the  muti- 
nous Sixth,  and  said  and  did  everything  to  place  discredit 

upon  them. 

They  were  reviewed  by  General  Breckinridge,  General 
Alger,  Secretary  of  War,  and  President  McKinley,  who 
applauded  them  for  their  fine  and  soldierly  appearance. 


374 
WHAT  PRESIDENT  CHARLES  FRANCIS  MESERVE  SATS. 

President  Charles  Francis  Meserve,  of  Shaw  University, 
says: 

"  I  spent  a  part  of  two  days  the  latter  part  of  December 
at  Camp  Haskell,  near  Macon,  Ga.,  inspecting  the  Third 
North  Carolina  colored  regiment  and  its  camp  and  sur- 
roundings. The  fact  that  this  regiment  has  colored  offi- 
cers and  the  knowledge  that  the  Colonel  and  quite  a  num- 
ber of  officers,  as  well  as  many  of  the  rank  and  file,  were 
graduates  or  former  students  of  Shaw  University,  led  me  to 
make  a  visit  to  this  regiment,  unheralded  and  unannounced. 
I  was  just  crossing  the  line  into  the  camp  when  I  was  stop- 
ped by  a  guard,  who  wanted  to  know  who  I  was  and  what 
I  wanted.  I  told  him  I  was  a  very  small  piece  of  Shaw  Uni- 
versity, and  that  I  wanted  to  see  Col.  Young.  After  that 
sentence  was  uttered,  and  he  had  directed  me  to  the  head- 
quarters of  the  colonel,  the  regiment  and  the  camp  might 
have  been  called  mine,  for  the  freedom  of  everything  was 
granted  me. 

The  camp  is  admirably  located  on  a  sandy  hillside,  near 
pine  woods,  and  is  dry  and  well  drained.  It  is  well  laid 
out,  with  a  broad  avenue  in  the  centre  intersected  by  a 
number  of  side  streets.  On  one  side  of  the  avenue  are  the 
tents  and  quarters  of  the  men  and  the  canteen,  and  on  the 
opposite  side  the  officers'  quarters,  the  hospital,  the  quar- 
termasters' stores,  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  tent,  etc. 

Although  the  weather  was  unfavorable,  the  camp  was 
in  the  best  condition,  and  from  the  standpoint  of  sanita- 
tion was  well-nigh  perfect.  I  went  everywhere  and  saw 
everything,  even  to  the  sinks  and  corral.  Part  of  the  time 


377 

I  was  alone  and  part  of  the  time  an  officer  attended  me. 
There  was  an  abundant  supply  of  water  from  the  Macon 
water  works  distributed  in  pipes  throughout  the  camp. 
The  clothing  was  of  good  quality  and  well  cared  for.  The 
food  was  excellent,  abundant  in  quantity  and  well  pre- 
pared. The  beef  was  fresh  and  sweet,  for  it  had  not  been 
"embalmed."  The  men  were  not  obliged  to  get  their 
fresh  meat  by  picking  maggots  out  of  dried  apples  and 
dried  peaches  as  has  been  the  case  sometimes  in  the  past 
on  our  "  Wild  West  Frontier."  There  were  potatoes,  Irish 
and  sweet,  navy  beans,  onions,  meat,  stacks  of  light  bread, 
canned  salmon,  canned  tomatoes,  etc.  These  were  not  all 
served  at  one  meal,  but  all  these  articles  and  others  go 
to  make  up  the  army  ration  list. 

The  spirit  and  discipline  of  officers  and  men  was  admir- 
able, and  reflected  great  credit  upon  the  Old  North  State. 
There  was  an  enthusiastic  spirit  and  buoyancy  that  made 
their  discipline  and  evolution  will  nigh  perfect.  The 
secret  of  it  all  was  confidence  in  their  leader.  They  believe 
in  their  colonel,  and  the  colonel  in  turn  believes  in  his  men. 
Col.  James  H.  Young  posesses  in  a  marked  degree  a  qual- 
ity of  leadership  as  important  as  it  is  rare.  He  probably 
knows  by  name  at  least  three-quarters  of  his  regiment,  and 
is  on  pleasant  terms  with  his  staff  and  the  men  in  the  ranks, 
and  yet  maintains  a  proper  dignity,  such  as  befits  his  official 
rank. 

On  the  last  afternoon  of  my  visit  of  inspection  Col. 
Young  ordered  the  regiment  drawn  up  in  front  of  his 
headquarters,  and  invited  me  to  address  them.  The  Col- 
onel and  his  staff  were  mounted,  and  I  was  given  a  position 


378 

of  honor  on  a  dry  goods  box  near  the  head  of  the  beautiful 
horse  upon  which  the  Colonel  was  mounted.  Besides 
Colonel  James  H.  Young,  of  Raleigh,  were  near  me  Lieu- 
tenant Colonel  Taylor,  of  Charlotte ;  Lieut.  H.  C.  Christ- 
mas, of  Raleigh ;  Major  Walker,  of  Wilmington ;  Major 
Hay  wood,  of  Raleigh;  Chief  Surgeons  Bellinger,  of  Greens- 
boro ;  Assistant  Surgeons  Pope,  of  Charlotte,  and  Alston, 
of  Asheville ;  Capt.  Durham,  of  Winston ;  Capt.  Hamlin, 
of  Raleigh  ;  Capt.  Hargraves,  of  Maxton  ;  Capt.  Mebane, 
of  Elizabeth  City;  Capt.  Carpenter,  of  Rutherfordton ; 
Capt.  Alexander,  of  Statesville ;  Capt.  Smith,  of  Durham  ; 
Capt.  Mason,  of  Kinston,  who  served  under  Colonel  Shaw 
at  Fort  Wagner;  Capt.  Leatherwood,  Asheville;  Capt. 
Stitt,  of  Charlotte ;  Capt.  York,  of  Newbern ;  and  Quart- 
ermaster Lane,  of  Raleigh.  That  highly  respected  citizen 
of  Fayetteville,  Adjutant  Smith,  was  in  the  hospital  suffer- 
ing from  a  broken  leg.  I  told  them  they  were  on  trial, 
and  the  success  or  failure  of  the  experiment  must  be  deter- 
mined by  themselves  alone  ;  that  godliness,  moral  character, 
prompt  and  implicit  obedience,  as  well  as  bravery  and  un- 
flinching courage,  were  necessary  attributes  of  the  true 
soldier. 

The  Y.  M.  C.  A.  tent  is  a  great  blessing  to  the  regiment, 
and  is  very  popular,  and  aids  in  every  possible  way  the 
work  of  Chaplain  Durham. 

The  way  Col.  Young  manages  the  canteen  can  not  be 
too  highly  recommended.  Ordinarily  the  term  canteen  is 
another  name  for  a  drinking  saloon,  though  a  great  variety 
of  articles,  such  as  soldiers  need,  are  on  sale  and  the  profits 
go  to  the  soldiers.  But  the  canteen  of  the  third  North  Caro- 


PROF.    CHARGES  F.   MESERVE, 

OF  SHAW  UNIVERSITY,    RALEIGH,    N.   C. 

(Who  investigated  and  made  report  on  the  Third  N.  C.  Volunteers.) 


379 


lina  is  a  dry  one.  By  that  I  mean  that  spirituous  or  malt 
liquors  are  not  sold.  Col.  Young  puts  into  practice  the 
principles  that  have  always  characterized  his  personal  hab- 
its, and  with  the  best  results  to  his  regiment. 

I  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting  Capt.  S.  Babcock,  Assis- 
tant Adjutant  General  of  the  Brigade,  who  has  known  this 
regiment  since  it  was  mustered  into  the  service.  He 
speaks  of  it  in  the  highest  terms.  I  also  met  Major  John 
A.  Logan,  the  Provost  Marshal,  and  had  a  long  interview 
with  him.  He  said  the  Third  North  Carolina  was  a  well- 
behaved  regiment  and  that  he  had  not  arrested  a  larger 
per.  cent  of  men  from  this  regiment  than  from  any  other 
regiment,  and  that  I  was  at  liberty  to  publicly  use  this 
statement. 

While  in  the  sleeper  on  my  way  home  I  fell  in  with 
Capt.  J.  C.  Gresham,  of  the  Seventh  Cavalry.  Capt.  Gres- 
ham  is  a  native  of  Virginia,  a  graduate  of  Richmond  Col- 
lege and  West  Point,  and  has  served  many  years  in  the 
regular  army.  He  was  with  Colonel  Forsyth  in  the  bat- 
tle with  the  Sioux  at  Wounded  Knee,  South  Dakota.  I 
had  met  him  previously,  when  I  was  in  the  United  States 
Indian  service  in  Kansas.  He  informed  me  that  he  mus- 
tered in  the  first  four  companies  of  the  Third  North  Caro- 
lina, and  the  Colonel  and  his  staff,  and  that  he  had  never 
met  a  more  capable  man  than  Colonel  Young. 

The  Third  North  Carolina  has  never  seen  active  service 
at  the  front,  and,  as  the  Hispano-American  war  is  practi- 
cally a  closed  chapter,  it  will  probably  be  mustered  out  of 
the  servi  :e  without  any  knowledge  of  actual  warfare.  I 
thought,  however,  as  I  stood  on  the  dry  goods  box  and 


3S2 

gave  them  kindly  advice,  and  looked  down  along  the  line, 
that  if  I  was  a  soldier  in  a  white  regiment  and  was  pitted 
against  them,  my  regiment  would  have  to  do  some  mighty 
lively  work  to  "  cleam  them  out." 

CHARLES  FRANCIS  MESERVE. 
Shaw  University, 

Raleigh,  N.  C.,  Jan.  25,  1899. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


THE  TWENTY-FOURTH  UNITED  STATES  INFANTRY. 

BY  SERGEANT    E.   D.  GIBSON. 

The  Twenty-fourth  United  States  Infantry  was  organized 
by  act  of  Congress  July  28,  1866.  Reorganized  by  consoli- 
dation of  the  38th  and  4ist  regiments  of  infantry,  by  act  of 
Congress,  approved  March  3,  1869.  Organization  of  regi- 
ment completed  in  September,  1869,  wi^  headquarters  at 
Fort  McKavett,  Texas. 

Since  taking  station  at  Fort  McKavett,  headquarters  of 
the  regiment  have  been  at  the  following  places : 

1870-71,  Fort  McKavett,  Tex.;  1872,  Forts  McKavett 
and  Brown,  Texas ;  1873-74,  Forts  Brown  and  Duncan 
Texas;  1875-76,  Fort  Brown,  Tex.;  1877-78,  Fort  Clark, 
Tex.;  1879,  Fort  Duncan,  Tex.;  1880,  Forts  Duncan  and 
Davis,  Tex.;  1881-87,  Fort  Suyply,  Ini.  Terr.;  1888,  Forts 
Supply  and  Sill,  Ind.  Terr.,  and  Bayard,  N.  M.;  1889  to 
1896,  Forts  Bayard,  N.  M.,  and  Douglas,  Utah;  1897,  Fort 
Douglas,  Utah ;  1898,  Fort  Douglas,  Utah,  till  April  20, 
when  ordered  into  the  field,  incident  to  the  breaking  out  of 
the  Spanish- American  war.  At  Chickamauga,  Park,  Ga., 
April  24  to  30 ;  Tampa,  Fla.,  May  2  to  June  7  ;  on  board 
transports  S.  S.  City  of  Washington,  enroute  with  expidition 
(Fifth  Army  Corps)  to  Cuba,  from  June  9  to  25  ;  at  Siboney 
and  L,as  Guasimas,  Cuba,  from  June  25  to  30 ;  occupied  the 
immediate  block-house  hill  at  Fort  San  Juan,  Cuba,  July  i 


386 

to  10,  from  which  position  the  regiment  changed  to  a  place 
on  the  San  Juan  ridge  about  one  forth  of  a  mile  to  the  left 
of  the  block-house,  where  in  remained  until  July  15,  when 
it  took  station  at  yellow  fever  camp,  Siboney,  Cuba,  remain, 
ing  until  August  26,  1898 ;  returned  to  the  United  States 
August  26,  arriving  at  Montauk  Pt.,  L.  L,  September  2, 
1898,  where  it  remained  until  September  26,  when  ordered 
to  its  original  station,  Fort  Douglas,  Utah,  rejoining  Octo- 
ber i,  1898. 

FIELD   AND  STAFF  OFFICERS. 

Colonel. — Henry  B.  Freeman,  under  orders  to  join. 

Lieutenant- Colonel.* — Emerson  H.  L,iscum,  Brig.-Gen. 
Vols.  On  sick  leave  from  wounds  received  in  action  at  Fort 
San  Juan,  Cuba,  July  i,  1898. 

Majors. — J.  Milton  Thompson,  commanding  regiment 
and  post  of  Fort  Douglas,  Utah.  Alfred  C.  Markley,  with 
regiment,  commanding  post  of  Fort  D.  A.  Russell,  Wyoming. 

Chaplain. — Allen  Allen  worth,  Post  Treasurer  and  in 
charge  of  schools. 

Adjutant. — Joseph  D.  Leitch,  recruiting  officer  at  post. 

Quartermaster. — Albert  L,aws. 

On  July  i,  1898,  our  regiment  was  not  a  part  of  the  firing 
line,  and  was  not  ordered  on  that  line  until  the  fire  got  so 
hot  that  the  white  troops  positively  refused  to  go  forwaad. 
When  our  commander,  Lieutenant-Colonel  E.  H.  Liscum, 
was  ordered  to  go  in  he  gave  the  command  "forward,  march," 
and  we  moved  forward  singing  u  Hold  the  Fort,  for  we  are 
coming,"  and  on  the  eastern  bank  of  the  San  Juan  river  we 


38? 

walked  over  the  Seventy- first  New  York  Volunteer  Infantry- 
After  wading  the  river  we  marched  through  the  ranks  of 
the  Thirteenth  (regular)  Infantry  and  formed  about  fifty 
yards  in  their  front.  We  were  then  about  six  hundred 
yard  from  and  in  plain  view  of  the  block-house  and  Span- 
ish trenches.  As  soon  as  the  Spaniards  saw  this  they  con- 
centrated all  of  their  fire  on  us,  and,  while  changing  from 
column  to  line  of  battle  (which  took  about  eight  minutes), 
we  lost  one  hundred  and  two  men,  and  that  place  on  the 
river  to-day  is  called  "bloody  bend."  We  had  only  one 
advantage  of  the  enemy — that  was  our  superior  marksman- 
ship. I  was  right  of  the  battalion  that  led  the  charge  and 
I  directed  my  line  against  the  center  of  the  trench,  which 
was  on  a  precipice  about  two  hundred  feet  high. 

I  was  born  December  4,  1852,  in  Wythe  county,  Virginia, 
and  joined  the  army  in  Cincinnati  Ohio,  November  22,  1869, 
and  have  been  in  the  army  continuously  since.  I  served 
my  first  ten  years  in  the  Tenth  Cavalry,  where  I  experienced 
many  hard  fights  with  the  Indians.  I  was  assigned  to  the 
Twenty-fourth  Infantry  by  request  in  1880. 

E.  D.  GIBSON, 

Sergeant  Co.  G,  24th  U.  S.  Infantry ', 
PRESIDIO,  CALIFORNIA. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


GENERAL  ITEMS  OF  INTEREST  TO  THE  RACE. 

John  C.  Dancy,  re-appointed  Collector  of  Port  Wilming- 
ton, N.  C.  Salary  $3,000. 

The  appointment  of  Prof.  Richard  T.  Greener  of  New 
York,  as  Consul  to  Vladivistock. 

Hon.  H.  P.  Cheatham,  appointed  as  Register  of  Deeds 
of  the  District  of  Columbia.  Salary  $4,000. 

Hon.  George  H.  White  elected  to  Congress  from  the 
Second  Congressional  District  of  North  Carolina,  the  only 
colored  Representative  in  that  body. 

The  Cotton  Factory  at  Concord,  N.  C.,  built  and  oper- 
ated by  colored  people,  capitalized  at  $50,000,  and  estab- 
lished a  new  line  of  industry  for  colored  labor,  is  one  of 
the  interesting  items  showing  the  progress  of  the  colored 
race  in  America. 

B.  K.  Bruce  re-appointed  Register  of  the  Treasury,  and 
on  his  death  Mr.  Judson  W.  Lyons,  of  Augusta,  Georgia, 
became  his  successor,  and  now  has  the  honor  of  making 
genuine  Uncle  Sam's  greenbacks  by  affixing  thereto  his 
signature.  Salary  $4,500. 

Bishop  H.  M.  Turner  visits  Africa  and  ordains  an  Afri- 
can Bishop,  J.  H.  Dwane,  Vicar  of  South  Africa,  with  a  con- 
ference composed  of  a  membership  of  10,000  persons.  This 
act  of  the  Bishop  is  criticised  by  some  of  the  Bishops  and 


MR.  JUDSON  W.  I,YONS,  REGISTER  OF  THE   TREASURY,   AND   SIGNS 
U.  S.  "GREENBACKS"  TO   MAKE    THEM   GOOD. 


389 


members  of  the  A.  M.  E.  Church  in  America  on  the 
grounds  that  Bishop  Turner  was  acting  without  authority 
in  making  this  appointment. 

Mr.  James  Deveaux,  Collector  of  Port  Brunswick,  Ga.; 
H.  A.  Rucker,  Collector  of  Internal  Revenue  for  Georgia, 
$4,500  (the  best  office  in  the  State);  Morton,  Postmaster  at 
Athens,  Ga.,  #2,400 ;  Demas,  naval  officer  at  New  Orleans, 
$5,000 ;  Lee,  Collector  of  Port  at  Jacksonville,  $4,000  (the 
best  office  in  the  State);  Hill,  Register  of  the  Land  Office 
in  Mississippi,  $3,000;  Leftwich,  Register  of  the  Land 
Office  in  Alabama,  $3,000;  Casline,  Receiver  of  Public 
Moneys  in  Alabama,  $2,000;  Jackson,  Consul  at  Calais, 
$2,500 ;  Van  Horn,  Consul  in  the  West  Indies,  $2,500 ; 
Green,  Chief  Stamp  Division,  Postoffice  Department, 

$2,000. 

MISS  ALBERTA  SCOTT  AND  OTHERS. 

Miss  Alberta  Scott  is  the  first  Negro  girl  to  be  graduated 
from  the  Harvard  annex.  Her  classmates  and  the  pro- 
fessors of  the  institution  have  congratulated  her  in  the 
warmest  terms  and  in  the  literary  and  the  language  club 
of  Boston  her  achievement  of  the  M.  A.  degree  has  been 
spoken  of  with  high  praise.  Miss  Scott  is  but  the  fifth 
student  of  the  Negro  race  to  obtain  this  honor  at  the  col- 
leges for  women  in  Massachusetts.  Two  received  diplomas 
from  Wellsley,  one  from  Smith  College  and  one  from 
Vassar.  Miss  Scott  is  20  years  old.  She  was  born  in 
Richmond,  Va.,  having  graduated  from  the  common 
schools  in  Boston.  Miss  Scott's  teachers  spoke  so  encour- 


392 

agingly  of  her  work  that  the  girl  was  determined  to  have 
a  college  education.  She  paid  particular  attention  to  the 
study  of  language  and  literature,  and  she  is  now  a  fluent 
linguist  and  a  member  of  the  Idier  and  German  clubs.  She 
has  contributed  considerably  to  college  and  New  England 
journals. 

THE  DISCOVERY  OF  THE  GARNES  FAMILY. 

A  picture  of  which  is  herein  placed,  will  do  much  to  confound 
those  bumptious  sociologists  who  make  haste  to  rush  into 
print  with  statistics  purporting  to  show  that  the  Negro  race 
in  America  is  ufast  dying  out."  The  aim  of  this  class  of 
people  seems  to  be  to  show  that  the  Negro  race  withers 
under  the  influence  of  freedom,  which  is  by  no  means  true. 
It  is  possibly  true  that  filth  and  disease  does  its  fatal  work 
in  the  Negro  race  the  same  as  in  other  races  among  the 
filthy  and  corrupt,  but  the  filthy  and  corrupt  in  the  Negro 
race,  as  a  class  are  growing  fewer  every  year,  for  which  we 
can  thank  the  philanthropy  of  the  American  people  who 
are  doing  something  to  better  the  condition  of  the  Negro 
rather  than  hurling  at  him  enervating  criticism  and  com- 
plaints. 

"  Their  home  "  is  at  Brodie,  in  the  country,  about  twenty 
miles  from  Henderson,  N.  C.  The  father's  name  is  Gillis 
Games.  He  is  about  fifty  years  of  age,  and  the  mother  says 
she  is  about  forty-eight.  The  oldest  child  is  a  daughte', 
aged  twenty-eight,  and  the  youngest  is  also  a  daughter, 
three  years  of  age  ;  that  you  see  seated  in  her  mother's 
arms.  They  are  all  Baptists,  and  thirteen  of  the  family 
are  members  of  the  church,  I  had  this  photograph  taken 


393 


395 

at  Henderson,  on  April  8th.  There  are  seventeen  children, 
all  living,  of  the  same  father  and  mother.  A.  J.  Games 
spends  quite  a  part  of  the  time  in  teaching  in  his  native 
county.  When  he  is  not  teaching  he  is  at  home,  and  every 
evening  has  a  school  made  up  of  children  of  the  family. 
A.  J.  Games  is  the  tall  young  man  in  the  back-ground  at 
the  right,  who  is  a  former  student  of  Shaw  University,  as 
well  as  one  of  the  sisters  represented  in  the  picture. — Prof. 
Charles  F.  Meserve,  in  the  Baptist  Home  Mission  Monthly. 


"A  COLORED  WONDER"  ON  A  BICYCLE. 

NEW  YORK,  August  27. — Major  Taylor,  the  colored 
cyclist,  met  and  defeated  " Jimmy''  Michael,  the  little 
Welshman,  in  a  special  match  race,  best  two  out  of  three, 
one  mile  pace  heats,  from  a  standing  start,  at  Manhattan 
Beach  cycle  track  this  afternoon. 

Michael  won  the  first  heat  easily,  as  Taylor's  pacing 
quint  broke  down  in  the  final  lap,  but  on  the  next  two 
heats  Michael  was  so  badly  beaten  and  distanced  that  he 
quit  each  time  in  the  last  lap. 

MARVELOUS    WORK. 

Taylors  work  was  wonderful,  both  from  a  racing  and 
time  standpoint,  and  he  established  a  new  world's  record 
which  was  absolutely  phenomenal,  covering  the  third  heat 
in  1:41  2-5. 

Michael  was  hissed  by  the  spectators  as  he  passed  the 
stand,  dispirited  and  dejected  by  Taylor's  overwhelming 
victory. 


396 

Immediately  after  the  third  heat  was  finished,  and  before 
the  time  was  announced,  William  A.  Bradley,  who  cham- 
pioned the  colored  boy  during  the  entire  season,  issued  a 
challenge  to  race  Taylor  against  Michael  for  $5,000  or 
$10,000  a  side  at  any  distance  up  to  one  hundred  miles. 

THE  COLORED  YOUTH   LIONIZED. 

This  declaration  was  received  with  tumultuous  shouts 
by  the  assemblage,  and  the  colored  victor  was  lionized 
when  the  time  was  made  known. 

Edouard  Taylore,  the  French  rider,  held  the  world's 
record  of  1:45  3-5  for  the  distance,  in  a  contest  paced  from 
a  standing  start. 

THE  WORLD'S  RECORD  LOWERED. 

The  worlds  record  against  time  from  a  standing  start, 
made  by  Platt  Betts,  of  England,  was  1:43  2'5-  Michael 
beat  Tay  lore's  record  by  i  2-5  seconds  in  the  first  heat, 
but  Major  Taylor  wiped  this  out  and  tied  Bett's  record 
against  time  in  the  second  heat.  As  Taylor  was  on  the 
outside  for  nearly  two  and  a  half  laps,  it  was  easily  seen 
that  he  rode  more  than  a  mile  in  the  time,  and  shrewd 
judges  who  watched  the  race  said  that  he  would  surely  do 
better  on  the  third  attempt. 

That  he  fully  justified  this  belief  goes  without  saying. 

PALE   AS   A   CORPSE. 

The  Welsh  rider  was  pale  as  a  corpse  when  he  jumped 
off  his  wheel  and  had  no  excuse  to  make  for  his  defeat. 
Taylor's  performance  undoubtedly  stamps  him  as  the 


397 

premier  'cycle  sprinter  of  the  world,  and,  judging  from 
the  staying  qualities  he  exhibited  in  his  six  day's  ride  in 
the  Madison  Square  Garden,  the  middle  distance  champion- 
ship may  be  his  before  the  end  of  the  present  season. 


A  NEGRO  MILLIONAIRE  FOUND  AT  LAST. 

After  a  search  of  many  years,  at  last  a  Negro  millionaire, 
yes,  a  multi-millionaire  has  been  found.  He  resides  in  the 
city  of  Guatemala,  and  is  known  as  Don  Juan  Knight.  It 
is  said  he  is  to  that  country  what  Huntington  and  other 
monied  men  are  to  this  country.  He  was  born  a  slave  in 
the  State  of  Alabama.  He  owns  gold  mines,  large  coffee 
and  banana  farms,  is  the  second  largest  dealer  in  mahog- 
ony  in  the  world,  owns  a  bank  and  pays  his  employes 
$200,000  a  year.  His  wealth  is  estimated  at  $70,000,000. 
He  was  the  property  of  the  Uptons,  of  Dadeville,  Ala.  He 
contributes  largely  to  educational  institutions,  has  erected 
hospitals,  etc.  He  is  sought  for  his  advice  by  the  govern- 
ment whenever  a  bond  issue,  etc.,  is  to  be  made.  He  lives 
in  a  palace  and  has  hosts  of  servants  to  wait  on  his  family. 
He  married  a  native  and  has  seven  children.  They  have 
all  been  educated  in  this  country.  Two  of  his  sons  are  in 
a  military  academy  in  Mississipi  and  one  of  his  daughters 
is  an  accomplished  portrait  painter  in  Boston.  He  visited 
the  old  plantation  where  he  was  born  recently  and  em- 
ployed the  son  of  his  former  master  as  foreman  of  his 
mines.  Finding  that  the  wife  of  his  former  master  was 
sick  and  without  money,  he  gave  her  enough  money  to 
live  on  the  balance  of  her  life.  He  employes  more  men 
than  any  other  man  in  Guatemala  and  is  the  wealthiest  one 
there. — Maxton  Blade. 


398 

UNCLE  SAM'S  MONEY  SEALER  WHO  COULD  STEAL  MILLIONS 
IF  HE  WOULD. 

There  is  only  one  man  in  the  United  States  who  could 
steal  $10,000,000  and  not  have  the  theft  discovered  for  six 
months. 

This  man  has  a  salary  of  $1,200  a  year.  He  is  a  Negro 
and  his  name  is  John  R.  Brown. 

Mr.  Brown's  interesting  duty  is  to  be  the  packer  of  cur- 
rency under  James  F.  Meline,  the  Assistant  Treasurer  of 
the  United  States,  who  says  that  his  is  a  place  where  auto- 
matic safeguards  and  checks  fail,  and  where  the  govern- 
ment must  trust  the  honesty  of  the  official. 

All  the  currency  printed  at  the  Bureau  of  Engraving  and 
Printing  is  completed  in  the  Treasury  Building  by  having 
the  red  seal  printed  on  it  there.  It  comes  to  the  Treasury 
Building  in  sheets  of  four  notes  each,  and  when  the  seal 
has  been  imprinted  on  the  notes  they  are  cut  apart  and  put 
into  packages  to  dry.  John  Brown's  duty  is  to  put  up  the 
packages  of  notes  and  seal  them. 

Brown  does  his  work  in  a  cage  at  the  end  of  the  room  in 
which  the  completion  of  the  notes  is  accomplished — the 
room  of  the  Division  of  Issues. 

The  notes  are  arranged  in  packages  of  one  hundred  be- 
fore they  are  brought  into  the  cage.  Each  package  has 
its  paper  strap,  on  which  the  number  and  denomination  is 
given  in  printed  characters.  Forty  are  put  together  in 
two  piles  of  twenty  each  and  placed  in  a  power  press.  This 
press  is  worked  by  a  lever,  something  like  an  old-style  cot- 
ton press.  There  are  openings  above  and  below  through 


399 


401 

which  strings  can  be  slipped  after  Brown  has  pulled  the. 
lever  and  compressed  the  package. 

These  strings  hold  the  package  together  while  stout  ma- 
nilla  paper  is  drawn  around  it.  This  paper  is  folded  as 
though  about  a  pound  of  tea  and  sealed  with  wax.  Then 
a  label  is  pasted  on  it,  showing  in  plain  characters  what  is, 
within. 

The  packages  are  of  uniform  size  and  any  variation  from 
the  standard  would  be  noticed.  But  a  dishonest  man  in 
Brown's  position  could  slip  a  wad  of  prepared  paper  into 
one  of  the  packages  and  put  the  notes  into  his  pocket. 

If  he  did  this  the  crime  might  not  be  known  for  six 
months  or  a  year,  or  even  longer.  Some  day  there  would 
come  from  the  Treasurer  a  requisition  for  package  of  notes^ 
of  a  certain  denomination.  The  doctored  package  would 
be  opened  and  the  shortage  would  be  found.  However,, 
the  government  has  never  had  to  meet  this  situation. 

There  have  been  only  two  men  engaged  in  packing  and 
sealing  currency  since  the  Treasury  Department  was  or- 
ganized. 

John  T.  Barnes  began  the  work.  He  was  a  delegate  ta 
the  Chicago  Convention  which  nominated  Lincoln  and 
he  received  his  appointment  on  the  recommendation  of 
Montgomery  Blair  in  1861.  In  1862  he  was  assigned  to- 
making  up  the  currency  packages  and  fulfilled  that  duty 
until  his  death,  in  1894.  No  mistake  was  ever  discovered 
in  his  work,  though  he  handled  every  cent  of  currency  is- 
sued by  the  government  for  thirty-two  years — so  many 
millions  of  dollars  that  it  would  take  a  week  to  figure  them 
up. 


402 

Mr.  Barnes'  duties  were  filled  temporarily  until  Novem- 
ber i,  when  John  R.  Brown  was  appointed  to  the  place. 

Barnes  at  the  time  of  his  death  was  receiving  only  $1,400 
a  year  and  Brown  draws  only  $  1,200. 

Ordinarily  the  Bureau  of  Engraving  and  Printing  de- 
livers to  the  Issue  Division  about  fifty-six  packages  of  paper 
money  of  1,000  sheets  each,  four  notes  on  a  sheet,  making, 
when  separated,  224,000  notes.  These  notes  range  in  value 
from  #i  to  $20,  and  their  aggregate  is  usually  about 
$1,000,000.  The  government,  however,  issues  currency  in 
denominations  of  $50,  $100,  $500,  $1,000.  The  largest 
are  not  printed  often,  because  the  amount  issued  is  small. 

If  it  it  could  happen  that  224,000  notes  of  $1,000  each 
were  received  from  the  bureau  in  one  day,  the  aggregate 
of  value  in  the  fifty-six  packages  would  be  $224,000,000. 
As  it  is,  a  little  more  than  10  per  cent,  of  this  sum  repre- 
sents the  largest  amount  handled  in  one  day. 

That  is,  the  packer  has  handled  $25,000,000  in  a  single 
day,  and  not  one  dollar  has  gone  astray. 

John  R.  Brown  is  a  hereditary  office-holder.  His  father 
was  a  trusted  employee  of  the  Treasurer's  office  for  ten 
years  prior  to  his  death,  in  1874.  The  son  was  appointed 
assistant  messenger  in  1872.  He  became  a  clerk  through 
competitive  examination  and  was  gradually  promoted. 

The  man  who  has  the  largest  interest  in  John  Brown's 
integrity  and  care  probably  does  not  know  Brown's  name. 
Yet,  if  a  thousand  dollars  were  missing  from  one  of  the 
packages  in  the  storage  vault,  Ellis  H.  Roberts,  Treasurer 
of  the  United  States,  would  have  to  make  it  good.  Mr. 
Roberts  has  given  a  bond  to  the  government  in  the  sum 


403 


405 

of  $500,000.  Twenty  years  hence  the  sureties  on  that 
bond  could  be  held  for  a  shortage  in  the  Treasurer's  office, 
if  it  could  be  traced  back  to  Mr.  Roberts'  term. 

Not  one  of  the  employes  under  Mr.  Roberts  gives  a 
bond,  though  they  handle  millions  every  day.  But  the 
Treasurer's  office  is  one  which  every  responsible  employe 
has  been  weighed  carefully.  Its  clerks  have  been  in  ser- 
vice many  years  and  have  proved  worthy  of  confidence. 


HOWELLS  DISCOVERS  A  NEGRO  POET. 

Mr.  Paul  Lawrence  Dunbar  has  been  until  recently  an 
elevator-boy  in  Dayton,  Ohio.  While  engaged  in  the  ups 
and  downs  of  life  in  that  capacity  he  has  cultivated  his 
poetical  talents  so  successfully  that  his  verse  has  found 
frequent  admission  into  leading  magazines.  At  last  a  little 
collection  of  these  verses  reached  William  Dean  Howels, 
and  Mr.  Dunbar's  star  at  once  became  ascendant.  He  is 
said  to  be  a  full-blcoded  Negro,  the  son  of  slave-parents, 
and  his  best  work  is  in  the  dialect  of  his  race.  A  volume 
of  his  poems  is  soon  to  be  published  by  Dodd,  Mead  &  Co., 
and  in  an  introduction  to  it  Mr.  Howells  writes  as  follows : 

"  What  struck  me  in  reading  Mr.  Dunbar's  poetry  was 
what  had  already  struck  his  friends  in  Ohio  and  Indiana, 
in  Kentucky  and  Illinois.  They  had  felt  as  I  felt,  that 
however  gifted  his  race  had  proven  itself  in  music,  in  ora- 
tory, in  several  other  arts,  here  was  the  first  instance  of  an 
American  Negro  who  had  evinced  innate  literature.  In 
my  criticism  of  his  book  I  had  alleged  Dumas  in  France, 


406 

and  had  forgotten  to  allege  the  far  greater  Pushkin  in 
Russia;  but  these  were  both  mulattoes  who  might  have 
been  supposed  to  derive  their  qualities  from  white  blood 
vastly  more  artistic  than  ours,  and  who  were  the  creatures 
of  an  environment  more  favorable  to  their  literary  develop- 
ment. So  far  as  I  could  remember,  Paul  D unbar  was  the 
only  man  ot  pure  African  blood  and  American  civilization 
to  feel  the  Negro  life  esthetically  and  express  it  lyrically. 
It  seemed  to  me  that  this  had  come  to  its  most  modern  con- 
sciousness in  him,  and  that  his  brilliant  and  unique  achieve- 
ment was  to  have  studied  the  American  Negro  objectively, 
and  to  have  represented  him  as  he  found  him  to  be,  with 
humor,  with  sympathy,  and  yet  with  what  the  reader  must 
instinctively  feel  to  be  entire  truthfulness.  I  said  that  a 
race  which  come  to  this  effect  in  any  member  of  it  had  at- 
tained civilization  in  him,  and  I  permitted  myself  the 
imaginative  prophecy  that  the  hostilities  and  the  prejudices 
which  had  so  long  constrained  his  race  were  destined  to 
vanish  in  the  arts ;  that  these  were  to  be  the  final  proof 
that  God  had  made  of  one  blood  all  nations  of  men.  I 
thought  his  merits  positive  and  not  comparative;  and  I 
held  that  if  his  black  poems  had  been  written  by  a  white 
man  I  should  not  have  found  them  less  admirable.  I  ac- 
cepted them  as  an  evidence  of  the  essential  unity  of  the 
human  race,  which  does  not  think  or  feel  black  in  one  and 
white  in  another,  but  humanly  in  all." 

The  Bookman  says  of  Mr.  Dunbar : 

"It  is  safe  to  assert  that  accepted  as  an  Anglo-Saxon 
poet,  he  would  have  received  little  or  no  consideration  in 
a  hurried  weighing  of  the  mass  of  contemporary  verse. 


408 


PAUI,  I,AWRANCE   DUNBAR,    THE   NEGRO    POET. 


409 

"  But  Mr.  Dunbar,  as  his  pleasing,  manly,  and  not  un- 
refined face  shows,  is  a  poet  of  the  African  race ;  and  this 
novel  and  suggestive  fact  at  once  placed  his  work  upon  a 
peculiar  footing  of  interest,  of  study,  and  of  appreciative 
welcome.  So  regarded,  it  is  a  most  remarkable  and  hope- 
ful production." 

We  reproduce  here  one  of  Dunbar's  dialectic  poems  en- 
titled 

WHEN   DE   CO'N    PONE'S   HOT. 

Dey  is  times  in  life  when  Nature 

Seems  to  slip  a  cog  an'  go 
Jes'  a-rattlin'  down  creation, 

Lak  an  ocean's  overflow ; 
When  do  worl'  jes'  stahts  a-spinnin' 

Lak  a  picaninny's  top, 
An'  you1  cup  o'  joy  is  brimmin' 

'Twel  it  seems  about  to  slop, 
An'  you  feel  jes'  lak  a  racah 

Dat  is  trainin'  fu'  to  trot — 
When  you'  mammy  ses  de  blessin' 

An'  de  co'n  pone's  hot. 

When  you  set  down  at  de  table, 

Kin'  o'  weary  lak  an'  sad, 
An'  you'se  jest  a  little  tiahed, 

An'  purhaps  a  little  mad — 
How  you'  gloom  tu'ns  into  gladness, 

How  you'  joy  drives  out  de  doubt 
When  de  oven  do'  is  opened 

An'  de  smell  comes  po'in  out ; 


4io 

Why,  de  'lectric  light  o'  Heaven 

Seems  to  settle  on  de  spot, 
When  yo'  mammy  ses  de  blessin' 

An'  do  co'n  pone's  hot. 

When  de  cabbage  pot  is  steamin' 

An'  de  bacon  good  an'  fat, 
When  de  chittlin's  is  a- sputter 'n' 

So's  to  show  yo'  whah  dey's  at ; 
Take  away  yo'  sody  biscuit, 

Take  away  yo'  cake  an'  pie. 
Fu'  de  glory  time  is  comin', 

En'  it's  proachin'  very  nigh, 
An'  you'  want  to  jump  an'  hollah, 

Do  you  know  you'd  bettah  not, 
When  you  mammy  ses  de  blessin' 

An'  de  co'n  pone's  hot. 

I  have  heerd  o'  lots  o'  sermons, 

An'  I've  heerd  o'  lots  o'  prayers ; 
An'  I've  listened  to  some  singin' 

Dat  has  tuck  me  up  de  stairs 
Of  de  Glory  I/an'  an'  set  me 

Jes'  below  de  Mahster's  th'one, 
An'  have  lef  my  haht  a  singin' 

In  a  happy  aftah-tone. 
But  dem  wu's  so  sweetly  murmured 

Seem  to  tech  de  softes'  spot, 
When  my  mammy  ses  de  blessin', 

An'  de  co'n  pone's  hot. 

—  Taken  from  the  Literary  Digest. 


FILIPINO   LADY   OF   MANILA. 


411 


413 
DISFRANCHISEMENT  OF  COLORED  YOTERS. 

While  the  Northern  and  Western  portions  of  the  United 
States  were  paying  tributes  to  the  valor  of  the  Negro  sol- 
diers who  fought  for  the  flag  in  Cuba,  the  most  intense 
feeling  ever  witnessed,  was  brewing  in  some  sections  of  the 
South — notably  in  the  North  Carolina  Legislature — 
against  the  rights  and  privileges  of  Negro  citizenship, 
which  culminated  in  the  passage  of  a  "  Jim  Crow  "  car  law, 
and  an  act  to  amend  the  State  Constitution  so  as  to  dis- 
franchise the  colored  voters.  It  was  noticeable,  however, 
that  although  the  "Jim  Crow  Car"  law  got  through  that 
body  in  triumph,  yet  the  "Jim  Crow  Bed"  law,  which 
made  it  a  felony  for  whites  and  colored  to  cohabit  together 

DID  NOT  PASS. 

The  Washington  Post,  which  cannot  be  rated  as  gener- 
ally partial  to  the  colored  citizens  of  the  Union,  and  which 
is  especially  vicious  in  its  attacks  on  the  colored  soldiers, 
has  the  following  to  say  as  to  the  proposed  North  Carolina 
amendment,  which  is  so  well  said  that  we  insert  the  same 
in  full  as  an  indication  to  our  people  that  justice  is  not  yet 
dead — though  seemingly  tardy  : 

SUFFRAGE  IN  NORTH  CAROLINA. 

[Washington  Post,  February  20,  1899.] 

The  amendment  to  the  Constitution  of  North  Carolina, 
which  has  for  its  object  the  limitation  of  the  suffrage  in  the 
State,  appears  to  have  been  modeled  on  the  new  Louisiana 
laws  and  operate  a  gross  oppression  and  injustice.  It  is 
easy  to  see  that  the  amendment  is  not  intended  to  disfran- 
chise the  ignorant,  but  to  stop  short  with  the  Negro ;  to 


414 

•deny  to  the  illiterate  black  man  the  right  of  access  to  the 
ballot  box  and  yet  to  leave  the  way  wide  open  to  the  equally 
illiterate  whites.  In  our  opinion  the  policy  thus  indicated 
is  both  dangerous  and  unjust.  We  expressed  the  same 
opinion  in  connection  with  the  Louisiana  laws,  and  we  see 
no  reason  to  amend  our  views  in  the  case  of  North  Carolina. 
The  proposed  arrangement  is  wicked.  It  will  not  bear  the 
test  of  intelligent  and  impartial  examination.  We  believe 
in  this  case,  as  in  that  of  Louisiana,  that  the  Federal  Con- 
stitution has  been  violated,  and  we  hope  that  the  people 
of  North  Carolina  will  repudiate  the  blunder  at  the  polls. 
We  realize  with  sorrow  and  apprehension  that  there  are 
elements  at  the  South  enlisted  in  the  work  of  disfranchis- 
ing the  Negro  for  purposes  of  mere  party  profit.  It  has 
been  so  in  Louisiana,  where  laws  were  enacted  under  which 
penniless  and  illiterate  Negroes  cannot  vote,  while  the 
ignorant  and  vicious  classes  of  whites  are  enabled  to  retain 
and  exercise  the  franchise.  So  far  as  we  are  concerned — 
and  we  believe  that  the  best  element  of  the  South  in  every 
State  will  sustain  our  proposition — we  hold  that,  as  be- 
tween the  ignorant  of  the  two  races,  the  Negroes  are  pre- 
ferable. They  are  conservative ;  they  are  good  citizens ; 
they  take  no  stock  in  social  schisms  and  vagaries ;  they 
do  not  consort  with  anarchists ;  they  cannot  be  made  the 
tools  and  agents  of  incendiaries ;  they  constitute  the  solid, 
worthy,  estimable  yeomanry  of  the  South.  Their  influence 
in  government  would  be  infinitely  more  wholesome  than 
the  influence  of  the  white  sansculotte,  the  riff-raff,  the 
idlers,  the  rowdies,  and  the  outlaws.  As  between  the 
Negro,  no  matter  how  illiterate  he  may  be,  and  the  "  poor 


GEN     PIO   PILAR, 
In  charge  of  the  Insurgent  forces  which  attacked  the  American  troops. 


415 


white/'  the  property-holders  of  the  South  prefer  the  former. 
Excepting  a  few  impudent,  half-educated,  and  pestiferous 
pretenders,  the  Negro  masses  of  the  South  are  honest, 
well-meaning,  industrious,  and  safe  citizens.  They  are 
in  sympathy  with  the  superior  race ;  they  find  protection 
and  encouragement  with  the  old  slave-holding  class ;  if  left 
alone,  they  would  furnish  the  bone  and  sinew  of  a  secure 
and  progressive  civilization.  To  disfranchise  this  class 
and  leave  the  degraded  whites  in  possession  of  the  ballot 
would,  as  we  see  the  matter,  be  a  blunder,  if  not  a  crime. 
The  question  has  yet  to  be  submitted  to  a  popular  vote. 
We  hope  it  will  be  decided  in  the  negative.  Both  the 
Louisiana  Senators  are  on  record  as  proclaiming  the  un- 
constitutionality  of  the  law.  Both  are  eminent  lawyers, 
and  both  devoted  absolutely  to  the  welfare  of  the  South. 
We  can  only  hope,  for  the  sake  of  a  people  whom  we  ad- 
mire and  love,  that  this  iniquitous  legislation  may  be  over- 
ruled in  North  Carolina  as  in  Louisiana. 


CHAPTER  X. 


SOME  FACTS  ABOUT  THE  PHILIPINOS. 


WHO  AGUINALDO  IS. 

Kmilio  Aguinaldo  was  born  March  22,  1869,  at  Cavite, 
Vie  jo. 

When  twenty-five  years  old  he  was  elected  Mayor  of 
Cavite. 

On  August  21,  1896,  Aguinaldo  became  leader  of  the 
insurgents.  The  revolution  started  on  that  day. 

He  fought  four  battles  with  the  Spaniards  and  was  vic- 
torious in  all ;  He  lost  but  ten  men  to  the  Spaniards  125. 

On  December  24,  1897,  a  peace  was  established  between 
Aguidaldo  and  the  Spanish. 

Aguinaldo  received  #400,000,  but  the  rest  of  the  con- 
ditions of  peace  were  never  carried  out. 

In  June  last  Aguinaldo  issued  proclamation,  expressing 
a  desire  for  the  establishment  of  a  native  administration 
in  the  Philippines  under  an  American  protectorate. 

In  an  interview  with  a  World  correspondent  at  that  time 
he  expressed  himsel  as  grateful  to  Americans. 

In  July  he  issued  a  proclamation  fixing  the  i2th  day  of 
that  month  for  the  declaration  of  the  independence  of  the 
Philippines. 

In  November  Aguinaldo  defied  General  Otis,  refusing  to 
release  his  Spanish  prisoners. 


KMIUO   AGUINALDO,  MILITARY   DICTATOR   OF  THK    FILIPINOS. 


419 


421 

The  Cabinet  on  December  2,  cabled  General  Otis  to  de- 
mand the  release  of  the  prisoners 

AGUINALDO   THE   MAN. 

In  his  features,  face  and  skull  Aguinaldo  looks  more  like 
a  European  than  a  Malay. 

He  is  what  would  be  called  a  handsome  man,  and  might 
be  compared  with  many  young  men  in  the  province  of 
Andalusia,  Spain.  If  there  be  truth  in  phrenology  he  is  a 
man  above  the  common.  Friends  and  enemies  agree  that 
he  is  intelligent,  ambitious,  far-sighted,  brave,  self-con- 
trolled, honest,  moral,  vindictive,  and  at  times  cruel.  He 
possesses  the  quality  which  friends  call  wisdom  and  ene. 
mies  call  craft.  According  to  those  who  like  him  he  is 
courteous,  polished,  thoughtful  and  dignified ;  according 
to  those  who  dislike  him  he  is  insincere,  pretentious,  vain 
and  arrogant.  Both  admit  him  to  be  genial,  generous, 
self-sacrificing,  popular  and  capable  in  the  administration 
of  affairs.  If  the  opinion  of  his  foes  be  accepted  he  is  one 
of  the  greatest  Malays  on  the  page  of  history.  If  the 
opinion  of  his  friends  be  taken  as  the  criterion  he  is  one  of 
the  great  men  of  history,  irrespective  of  race. —  The  Review 
of  Reviews. 

FACTS  FROM  FELIPE  AGONCILLO'S  LETTER  IN  LESLIE'S 
MAGAZINE. 

Sixty  per  cent,  of  the  inhabitants  can  read  and  write. 

The  women  in  education  are  on  a  plane  with  the  men. 

Each  town  of  5,000  inhabitants  has  two  schools  for  chil- 
dren of  both  sexes.  The  towns  of  10,000  inhabitants  have 
three  schools.  There  are  technical  training  schools  in 


422 

Manila,  Iloilo  and  Bacoler.  "  In  these  schools  are  taught 
cabinet  work,  silversmithing,  lock- smithing,  lithography, 
carpentering,  machinery,  decorating,  sculpture,  political 
economy,  commercial  law,  book-keeping,  and  commercial 
correspondence,  French  and  English;  and  there  is  one 
superior  college  for  painting,  sculpture  and  engraving. 
There  is  also  a  college  of  commercial  exports  in  Manila, 
and  a  nautical  school,  as  well  as  a  superior  school  of  agri- 
culture. Ten  model  farms  and  a  meteological  observatory 
are  conducted  in  other  provinces,  together  with  a  service 
of  geological  studies,  a  botanical  garden  and  a  museum,  a 
laboratory  and  military  academy  and  a  school  of  telegraphy. 

Manila  has  a  girl's  school  (La  Ascunsion)  of  elementary 
and  superior  branches,  directed  by  French,  English  and 
Spanish  mothers,  which  teaches  French,  English  litera- 
ture, arithmetic,  algebra,  trigonometry,  topography,  physics, 
geology,  universal  history,  geography,  designing,  music, 
dressmaking  and  needle-work.  The  capital  has  besides  a 
municipal  school  of  primary  instruction,  and  the  following 
colleges :  Santa  Ysabel,  Santa  Catolina,  La  Concordia,  Santa 
Rosa  de  la  Looban,  a  hospital  of  San  Jose,  and  an  Asylum 
of  St.  Vincent  de  Paul,  all  of  which  are  places  of  instruction 
for  children.  There  are  other  elementary  schools  in  the 
State  of  Camannis,  in  Pasig,  in  Vigan  and  Jaro. 

The  entire  conduct  of  the  civilization  of  the  philipines 
as  well  as  local  authorities  are  in  the  hands  of  the  Philipi- 
nos  themselves.  They  also  had  charge  of  the  public  offices 
of  the  government  during  the  last  century. 

There  is  a  medical  school  and  a  school  for  mid-wives. 

UA11  the  young  people  and  especially  the  boys,  belong- 


423 

ing  to  well-to-do  families  residing  in  the  other  islands  go 
to  Manila  to  study  the  arts  and  learn  a  profession.  Among 
the  natives  to  be  ignorant  and  uneducated,  is  a  shameful 
condition  of  degredation. 

"  The  sons  of  the  rich  families  began  to  go  to  Spain  in 
1854"  to  be  educated. 

When  the  Spaniards  first  went  to  the  islands  "  they  found 
the  Philipinos  enlightened  and  advanced  in  civilization." 
"  They  had  foundries  for  casting  iron  and  brass,  for  mak- 
ing guns  and  powder.  They  had  their  special  writing  with 
two  alphabets,  and  used  paper  imported  from  China  and 
Japan."  This  was  in  the  early  part  of  the  sixteenth  cen- 
tury. The  Spanish  government  took  the  part  of  the  na- 
tives against  the  imposition  of  exorbitant  taxes,  and  the 
tortures  of  the  inquisition  by  the  early  settlers. 

The  highest  civilization  exists  in  the  island  of  Luzon 
but  in  some  of  the  remote  islands  the  people  are  not  more 
than  "enlightened."  The  population  embraced  in  Agui- 
naldo's  dominion  is  10,000,000,  scattered  over  a  terri- 
tory in  area  approaching  200,000  square  miles.  The  Ameri- 
cans up  to  this  time  have  conquered  only  about  143  square 
miles  of  this  territory. 

What  takes  place  in  the  South  concerning  the  treatment 
of  Negroes  is  known  in  the  Philippines.  The  Philip i no 
government  on  the  2jth  day  of  February,  1899,  issued  from 
Hong  Kong  the  following  decree  warning  the  Philipino 
people  as  follows : 

"Manilla  has  witnessed  the  most  horrible  outrages,  the 
confiscation  of  the  properties  and  savings  of  the  people  at 
the  point  of  the  bayonet,  the  shooting  of  the  defenceless, 


424 

accompanied  by  odious  acts  of  abomination  repugnant  bar- 
barism and  social  hatred,  worse  than  the  doings  in  the 
Carolinas." 

They  are  told  of  America's  treatment  of  the  black  popu- 
lation, and  are  made  to  feel  that  it  is  better  to  die  fighting 
than  become  subject  to  a  nation  where,  as  they  are  made 
to  believe,  the  colored  man  is  lynched  and  burned  alive  in- 
discriminately. The  outrages  in  this  country  is  giving 
America  a  bad  name  among  the  savage  people  of  the  world, 
and  they  seem  to  prefer  savagery  to  American  civilization, 
such  as  is  meted  out  to  her  dark-skinned  people. 


FELIPK    AGONCILLO, 
Emissary  of  the  Filipinos  to  the  United  States. 


425 


CHAPTER  XI. 


RESUME. 

Should  the  question  be  asked  "  how  did  the  American 
Negroes  act  in  the  Spanish- American  war?"  the  foregoing 
brief  account  of  their  conduct  would  furnish  a  satisfactory 
answer  to  any  fair  mind.  In  testimony  of  their  valiant 
conduct  we  have  the  evidence  first,  of  competent  eye  wit- 
nesses ;  second,  of  men  of  the  white  race ;  and  third, 
not  only  the  white  race,  but  men  of  the  Southern  white 
race,  in  America,  whose  antipathy  to  the  Negro  "  with  a 
gun  "  is  well  known,  it  being  related  of  the  great  George 
Washington,  who,  withal,  was  a  slave  owner,  but  mild  in 
his  views  as  to  the  harshness  of  that  system — that  on  his 
dying  bed  he  called  out  to  his  good  wife  :  "  Martha,  Martha, 
let  me  charge  you,  dear,  never  to  trust  a  ( nigger  *  with  a 
gun."  Again  we  have  the  testimony  of  men  high  in 
authority,  competent  to  judge,  and  whose  evidence  ought 
to  be  received.  Such  men  as  General  Joseph  Wheeler, 
Colonel  Roosevelt,  General  Miles,  President  McKinley. 
If,  on  the  testimony  of  such  witnesses  as  these,  we  have 
not  "established  our  case,"  there  must  be  something 
wrong  with  the  jury.  A  good  case  has  been  established, 
however,  for  the  colored  soldier,  out  of  the  mouth  of  many 
witnesses.  The  colored  troopers  just  did  so  well  that  praise 
could  not  be  withheld  from  them  even  by  those  whose 
education  and  training  had  bred  in  them  prejudice  against 
Negroes.  It  can  no  longer  be  doubted  that  the  Negro 


428 

soldier  will  fight.  In  fact  such  has  been  their  record  in 
past  wars  that  no  scruples  should  have  been  entertained  on 
this  point,  but  the  (late)  war  was  a  fresh  test,  the  result  of 
which  should  be  enough  to  convince  the  most  incredulous 
"  Doubting  Thomases." 

The  greater  portion  of  the  American  people  have  confi- 
dence in  the  Negro  soldier.  This  confidence  is  not  mis- 
placed— the  American  government  can,  in  the  South, 
organize  an  army  of  Negro  soldiers  that  will  defy  the 
combined  forces  of  any  nation  of  Europe.  The  Negro  can 
fight  in  any  climate,  and  does  not  succumb  to  the  hardships 
of  camp  life.  He  makes  a  model  soldier  and  is  well  nigh 
invincible. 

The  Negro  race  has  a  right  to  be  proud  of  the  achieve- 
ments of  the  colored  troopers  in  the  late  Spanish- American 
war.  They  were  the  representatives  of  the  whole  race  in 
that  conflict ;  had  they  failed  it  would  have  been  a  calamity 
charged  up -to  the  whole  race.  The  race's  enemies  would 
have  used  it  with  great  effect.  They  did  not  fail,  but  did 
their  duty  nobly — a  thousand  hurrahs  for  the  colored 
troopers  of  the  Spanish-American  war ! ! 

In  considering  their  successful  achievements,  however, 
it  is  well  to  remember  that  there  were  some  things  the 
Negro  had  to  forget  while  facing  Spanish  bullets.  The 
Negro  soldier  in  bracing  himself  for  that  conflict  must 
needs  forget  the  cruelties  that  daily  go  on  against  his 
brethren  under  that  same  flag  he  faces  death  to  defend  ;  he 
must  forget  that  when  he  returns  to  his  own  land  he  will 
be  met  not  as  a  citizen,  but  as  a  serf  in  that  part  of  it,  at 
least,  where  the  majority  of  his  people  live ;  he  must  forget 


429 


that  if  he  wishes  to  visit  his  aged  parents,  who  may  perhaps 
live  in  some  of  the  Southern  States,  he  must  go  in  a  u  Jim 
Crow  "  car  ;  and  if  he  wants  a  meal  on  the  way,  he  could 
only  get  it  in  the  kitchen,  as  to  insist  on  having  in  in  the 
dining-room  with  other  travelers,  would  subject  him  to 
mob  violence  ;  he  must  forget  that  the  flag  he  fought  to 
defend  in  Cuba  does  not  protect  him  nor  his  family  at 
home  ;  he  must  forget  the  murder  of  Frazier  B.  Baker,  who 
was  shot  down  in  cold  blood,  together  with  his  infant  babe 
in  its  mother's  arms,  and  the  mother  and  another  child 
wounded,  at  Lake  City,  S.  C.,  for  no  other  offense  than 
attempting  to  perform  the  duties  of  postmaster  at  that  place 
—  a  position  given  him  by  President  McKinley  ;  he  must 
forget  also  the  shooting  of  Loftin,  the  colored  postmaster  a 
Hogansville,  Ga.,  who  was  guilty  of  no  crime  but  being  a 
Negro  and  holding,  at  that  place,  the  postoffice,  a  position 
given  him  by  the  government  ;  he  must  forget  the  Wil- 
mington massacre^  in  which  some  forty  or  fifty  colored 
people  were  shot  down  by  men  who  had  organized  to  take 
the  government  of  the  city  in  charge  by  force  of  the  Win- 
chester —  where  two  lawyers  and  a  half  dozen  or  more 
colored  men  of  business,  together  with  such  of  their  white 
friends  as  were  thought  necessary  to  get  rid  of,  were  ban- 
ished from  the  city  by  a  mob,  and  their  lives  threatened  in 
the  event  of  their  return  —  all  because  they  were  in  the 
way  as  Republican  voters  —  "  talked  too  much,"  or  did  not 
halt  when  so  ordered  by  some  members  of  the  mob  ;  they 
must  forget  the  three  hundred  Negroes  who  were  the  vic- 
tims of  mob  violence  in  the  United  States  during  the  year 
1898  ;  they  must  forget  that  the  government  they  fought 
for  in  Cuba  is  powerless  to  correct  these  evils,  and  does  not 
correct  them. 


432 

WHY  THE  AMERICAN  GOVERNMENT  DOES  NOT  PROTECT  ITS 
COLORED  CITIZENS. 

The  failure  of  the  American  government  to  protect  its 
colored  citizens  is  due  to  the  peculiar  and  complicated 
construction  of  the  laws  relating  to  States  Rights.  The 
power  to  punish  for  crimes  against  citizens  of  the  different 
States  is  given  by  construction  of  the  Constitution  of  the 
United  States  to  the  courts  of  the  several  States.  The 
Federal  authorities  have  no  jurisdiction  unless  the  State 
has  passed  some  law  abridging  the  rights  of  citizens,  or  the 
State  government  through  its  authorized  agents  is  unable 
to  protect  its  citizens,  and  has  called  on  the  national  gov- 
ernment for  aid  to  that  end,  or  some  United  States  official 
is  molested  in  the  discharge  of  his  duty.  Under  this  subtle 
construction  of  the  Constitution  a  citizen  who  lives  in  a 
State  whose  public  opinion  is  hostile  becomes  a  victim  of 
whatever  prejudice  prevails,  and,  although  the  laws  may  in 
the  latter,  afford  ample  protection,  yet  those  who  are  to 
execute  them  rarely  do  so  in  the  face  of  a  hostile  public 
sentiment ;  and  thus  the  Negroes  who  live  in  hostile  com- 
munities become  the  victims  of  public  sentiment.  Juries 
may  be  drawn,  and  trials  may  be  had,  but  the  juries  are 
usually  white,  and  are  also  influenced  in  their  verdicts  by 
that  sentiment  which  declares  that  "  this  is  a  white  man's 
government,"  and  a  mistrial  follows.  In  many  instances 
the  juries  are  willing  to  do  justice,  but  they  can  feel  the 
pressure  from  the  outside,  and  in  some  instances  the  jurors 
chosen  to  try  the  cases  were  members  of  the  mob,  as  in 
the  case  of  the  coroner's  jury  at  Lake  City. 

It  is  the  duty  of  a  State  Governor,  when  he  finds  public 


433 

sentiment  dominating  the  courts  and  obstructing  justice, 
to  interfere,  and  in  case  he  cannot  succeed  with  the  sheriff 
and  posse  comitatus,  then  to  invoke  National  aid.  But 
this  step  has  never  yet  been  taken  by  any  Governor  of  the 
States  in  the  interest  of  Negro  citizenship.  Some  of  the 
State  Governors  have  made  a  feeble  demonstration  by  way 
of  threats  of  enforcing  the  law  against  those  who  organize 
mobs  and  take  the  law  into  their  own  hands :  and  some  of 
the  mob  murderers  have  been  brought  to  trial,  which,  in 
most  cases,  has  resulted  in  an  acquittal  for  the  reason  that 
juries  have  as  aforestated,  chosen  to  obey  public  sentiment, 
which  is  not  in  favor  of  punishing  white  men  for  lynching 
Negroes,  rather  than  obey  the  law ;  and  cases  against  the 
election  laws  and  for  molesting  United  States  officials  have 
to  be  tried  in  the  district  where  these  offenses  occur,  and 
the  juries  being  in  sympathy  with  the  criminals,  usually 
acquit,  or  there  is  a  mistrial  because  they  cannot  all  agree. 

That  molocracy  is  supreme  in  most  parts  of  the  Union 
is  no  longer  a  mooted  question.  It  is  a  fact ;  and  one  that 
forebodes  serious  consequences,  not  only  to  the  Negro  but 
to  any  class  of  citizens  who  may  happen  to  come  into  dis- 
favor with  some  other  class. 

What  the  Aegro  should  do  under  such  circumstances 
must  be  left  to  the  discretion  of  the  individuals  concerned. 
Some  advise  emigration,  but  that  is  impracticable,  en- 
masse,  unless  some  suitable  place  could  be  found  where 
any  considerable  number  might  go,  and  not  fare  worse. 
The  colored  people  will  eventually  leave  those  places  where 
they  are  maltreated,  but  "  whether  it  is  better  to  suffer  the 
ills  we  now  bear  than  flee  to  those  we  know  not  of,"  is  the 


434 

question.  The  prevailing  sentiment  among  the  masses 
-seems  to  be  to  remain  for  the  present,  where  they  are,  and 
through  wise  action  and  appeals  to  the  Court  of  Enlight- 
ened Christian  Sentiment,  try  to  disarm  the  mob.  There 
is  no  doubt  a  class  of  white  citizens  who  regret  such  occur- 
rences, and  from  their  natural  horror  of  bloodshed,  and 
looking  to  the  welfare  and  reputation  of  the  communities 
in  which  such  outrages  occur,  and  feeling  that  withal  the 
Negro  makes  a  good  domestic  and  farm  hand,  will,  and  do 
counsel  against  mob  violence.  In  many  places  where  mobs 
Slave  occurred  such  white  citizens  have  been  invaluable 
^aids  in  saving  the  lives  of  Negroes  from  mob  violence ; 
and  trusting  that  these  friends  will  increase  and  keep  up 
their  good  work  the  Negro  had  seldom  ever  left  the  scene 
of  mob  violence  in  any  considerable  numbers,  the  home 
ties  being  strong,  and  he  instinctively  loves  the  scene  of 
his  birth.  He  loves  the  white  men  who  were  boys  with 
him,  whose  faces  he  has  smiled  in  from  infancy,  and  he 
would  rather  not  sever  those  friendly  ties.  A  touching 
incident  is  related  in  reference  to  a  colored  man  in  a  certain 
town  where  a  mob  was  murdering  Negroes  right  and  left, 
who  came  to  the  door  of  his  place  of  business,  and  seeing 
the  face  of  a  young  white  man  whom  he  had  known  from 
his  youth,  asked  protection  home  to  his  wife  and  five  chil- 
dren; the  reply  came  with  an  oath,  ('Get  back  into  that 
house  or  I  will  put  a  bullet  into  you."  The  day  before  this 
these  two  men  had  been  "good  friends,"  had  "exchanged 
cigars  " — but  the  orders  of  the  mob  were  stronger  in  this 
instance  than  the  ties  of  long  years  of  close  friendship.  An- 
other instance,  though,  will  show  how  the  mob  could  not 


435 

control  the  ties  of  friendship  of  the  white  for  the  black.  It 
was  the  case  of  a  colored  man  who  was  black  listed  by  a 
mob  in  a  certain  city,  and  fled  to  the  home  of  a  neighbor- 
ing white  friend  who  kept  him  in  his  own  house  for  several 
days  until  escape  was  possible,  and  in  the  meantime,  sum- 
moned his  white  neighbors  to  guard  the  black  man's 
family — threatening  to  shoot  down  the  first  member  of  the 
mob  who  should  enter  the  gate,  because,  as  he  said,  "  you 
have  no  right  to  frighten  that  woman  and  her  children  to 
death."  Such  acts  as  this  assuie  the  Negroes  in  places 
where  feeling  runs  against  them  that  perhaps  they  may 
be  fortunate  enough  to  escape  the  violence  of  this  terrible 
race  hatred  that  is  now  running  riot  in  this  country.  In 
this  connection  it  is  well  to  remark  that  kindness  will  win 
in  the  long  run  with  the  Negro  Race,  and  make  them  the 
white  man's  friend.  Georgia  and  those  States  where 
Negroes  are  being  burned  are  sowing  to  the  wind  and  will 
ere  long  reap  the  whirlwind  in  the  matter  of  race  hatred. 
Criminal  assaults  were  not  characteristic  of  the  Negro  in 
the  days  of  slavery,  because  as  a  rule  there  was  friendship 
between  master  and  slave — the  slave  was  too  fond  of  his 
master's  family  but  to  do  otherwise  than  protect  it ;  but  the 
situation  is  changed — instead  of  kindness  the  Negro  sees 
nothing  but  rebuff  on  every  hand ;  he  feels  himself  a  hated 
and  despised  race  without  country  or  protection  anywhere, 
and  the  brute-spirit  rises  in  those,  who,  by  their  make-up 
and  training,  cannot  keep  it  down — then  follows  murder, 
outrage,  rape.  It  is  true  that  only  a  few  do  these  things, 
but  those  few  are  the  natural  products  of  the  Southern 
system  of  oppression  and  the  wonder  is,  when  the  question 


436 

is  viewed  philosophically,  that  there  are  so  few.  The  con- 
clusion here  reached  is  that  Georgia  will  not  get  rid  of  her 
brutes  by  burning  them  and  taking  the  charred  embers 
home  as  relics,  but  rather  by  treating  her  Negro  population 
with  more  kindness  and  showing  them  that  there  is  some 
hope  for  Negro  citizenship  in  that  State.  The  Negroes  know 
that  white  men  have  been  known'to  rape  colored  girls,  but 
that  never  has  there  been  a  suggestion  of  lynching  or 
burning  for  that,  and  they  feel  despondent,  for  they  know 
the  courts  are  useless  in  such  cases,  and  this  jug-handle  en- 
forcement of  lynch  law  is  breeding  its  own  bad  fruits  on 
the  Negro  race  as  well  as  making  more  brutal  the  whites. 
My  advice,  then,  to  our  white  friends  is  to  try  kindness  as 
a  remedy  for  rape  in  the  South,  and  I  am  convinced  of 
the  force  of  this  remedy  from  what  I  know  of  the  infre- 
quent occurence  of  assaults  and  murders  in  those  States 
where  the  Negroes  are  made  to  feel  that  they  are  citizens 
and  are  at  home. 

WHAT  COURAGE!  WHAT  AN  EXAMPLE  OF  FAITHFULNESS 

TO  DUTY. 

Did  the  colored  troopers  exhibit  in  forgetting  all  these 
shortcomings  to  themselves  and  race  of  their  own  gov- 
ernment when  they  made  those  daring  charges  on  San 
Juan  and  El  Caney ! !  They  were  possessed  with  large 
hearts  and  sublime  courage.  How  they  fought  under  such 
circumstances,  none  but  a  divine  tongue  can  answer.  It 
was  a  miracle,  and  was  performed,  no  doubt,  that  good 
might  come  to  the  race  in  the  shape  of  the  testimonials 
given  them  as  appears  heretofore  in  this  book.  Their  deeds 


<#&'  '  I  *.          I     v  f   1 1    ' '.   •        I  r    -f   x"       X 


CHURCH   AT  SAN   SEBASTIANO,   MANILA. 


437 


439 

must  live  in  history  as  an  honor  to  the  Negro  Race.  Let 
them  be  taught  to  the  children.  Let  it  be  said  that  the 
Negro  soldier  did  his  duty  under  the  flag,  whether  that 
flag  protects  him  or  not.  The  white  soldier  fought  under 
no  such  sad  reflections — he  Hid  not,  after  a  hard-fought 
batt'e,  lie  in  the  trenches  at  night  and  dream  of  his  aged 
mother  and  father  being  run  out  of  their  little  home  into 
the  wintry  blasts  by  a  mob  who  sought  to  u  string  them 
up  "  for  circulating  literature  relating  to  the  party  of  Wm. 
McKinley — the  President  of  the  United  States — this  was 
the  colored  soldiers'  dream,  but  he  swore  to  protect  the  flag 
and  he  did  it.  The  colored  soldier  has  been  faithful  to  his 
trust ;  let  others  be  the  same.  If  Negroes  who  have  other 
trusts  to  perform,  do  their  duty  as  well  as  the  colored  sol- 
diers, there  will  be  many  revisions  in  the  scale  of  public 
sentiment  regarding  the  Negro  Race  in  America — many 
arguments  will  be  overthrown  and  the  heyday  towards 
Negro  citizenship  will  begin  to  dawn — there  are  other  bat_ 
ties  than  those  of  the  militia. 

THE   SOLUTION  OF  THE   PROBLEM   IS   MAINLY   IN   THEl 
RACE'S  OWN  HANDS. 

They  must  climb  up  themselves  with  such  assistance  as; 
they  can  get.  The  race  has  done  well  in  thirty  years  of 
freedom,  but  it  could  have  done  better ;  banking  on  the 
progress  already  made  the  next  thirty  years  will  no  doubt 
show  greater  improvement  than  the  past — TIME,  TIMEV 
TIME,  which  some  people  seem  to  take  so  little  into  ac- 
count, will  be  the  great  adjuster  of  all  such  problems  in  the 
future  as  it  has  been  in  the  past.  Many  children  of  the 


440 

white  fathers  of  the  present  day  will  read  the  writing  of 
their  parents  and  wonder  at  their  short-sightedness  in  at- 
tempting to  fix  the  metes  and  bonds  of  the  American  Ne- 
gro's status.  We  feel  reluctant  to  prophesy,  but  this  much 
we  do  say,  that  fifty  years  from  now  will  show  a  great 
change  in  the  Negro's  condition  in  America,  and  many 
of  those  who  now  predict  his  calamity  will  be  classed  with 
the  fools  who  said  before  the  Negro  was  emancipated  that 
they  would  all  perish  within  ten  years  for  lack  of  ability  to 
feed  and  clothe  themselves.  The  complaint  now  with  many 
of  those  who  oppose  the  Negro  is  not  because  he  lacks 
ability,  but  rather  because  he  uses  too  much  and  sometimes 
gets  the  situation  that  they  want.  This  is  pre-eminently 
so  from  a  political  standpoint  and  the  reported  arguments 
used  to  stir  the  poorer  class  of  whites  to  rally  against  the 
Negroes  in  Wilmington  during  the  campaign  just  before 
the  late  MASSACRE  there  in  the  fall  of  1898,  was  a  recital 
by  impassioned  orators  of  the  fact  that  Negroes  had 
pianos  and  servants  in  their  houses,  and  lace  curtains  to 
their  windows — this  outburst  being  followed  by  the  ques- 
tion, "HOW  MANY  OF  YOU  WHITE  MEN  CAN 
AFFORD  TO  HAVE  THEM?"  So  as  to  the  problem 
of  the  Negro's  imbiding  the  traits  of  civilization,  that  point 
is  settled  by  what  he  has  already  done,  and  the  untold  ob- 
stacles which  are  being  constantly  put  in  his  way  by  those 
who  fear  his  competition.  The  question  then  turns  not  so 
much  on  what  shall  be  done  with  the  Negro  as  upon 
WHAT  SHALL  BE  DONE  WITH  THE  WHITE 
MEN  who  are  so  filled  with  prejudice  that  neither  law  nor 
religion  restrains  their  bloody  hands  when  the  Negro  re- 


441 

fuses  to  get  into  what  he  calls  "his  place,"  which  place  is 
that  of  a  menial ;  and  often  there  seems  no  effort  even  to 
put  the  Negro  in  any  particular  place  save  the  grave,  as 
many  of  the  lynchings  and  murders  appear  to  be  done 
either  for  the  fun  of  shooting  some  one,  or  else  with  ex- 
termination in  view.  There  is  no  attempt  at  a  show  of 
reason  or  right.  The  mob  spirit  is  growing — prejudice  is 
more  intense.  Formerly  it  was  confined  to  the  rabble, 
now  it  has  taken  hold  of  those  of  education  and  standing. 
Red  shirts  have  entered  the  pulpits,  and  it  is  a  matter 
boasted  of  rather  than  condemned — the  South  is  not  the 
only  scene  of  such  outrages.  Prejudice  is  not  confined  to 
one  section,  but  is  no  doubt  more  intense  in  the  Southern 
State,  and  more  far-reaching  in  its  effects,  because  it  is 
there  that  the  Negroes,  by  reason  of  the  large  numbers  in 
proportion  to  the  other  inhabitants,  come  into  political 
competition  with  the  whites  who  revolt  at  the  idea  of 
Negro  officers,  whether  they  are  elected  by  a  majority  of 
citizens  or  not.  The  whites  seem  bent  on  revolution  to 
prevent  the  force  and  effect  of  Negro  majorities.  Whether 
public  sentiment  will  continue  to  endorse  these  local  revo- 
lutions is  the  question  that  can  be  answered  only  by  time. 
Just  so  long  as  the  Negro's  citizenship  is  written  in  the 
Cpnstitution  and  he  believes  himself  entitled  to  it,  just  so 
long  will  he  seek  to  exercise  it.  The  white  man's  revolu- 
tion will  be  needed  every  now  and  then  to  beat  back  the 
Negro's  aspirations  with  the  Winchester.  The  Negro 
race  loves  progress,  it  is  fond  of  seeing  itself  elevated,  it 
loves  office  for  the  honor  it  brings  and  the  emoluments 
thereof,  just  as  other  progressive  races  do.  It  is  not  effete, 


442 

looking  back  to  Confucius ;  it  is  looking  forward ;  it  does 
not  think  its  best  days  have  been  in  the  past,  but  that  they 
are  yet  to  come  in  the  future ;  it  is  a  hopeful  race,  teach- 
able race ;  a  race  that  absorbs  readily  the  arts  and  accom- 
plishments of  civilization  ;  a  race  that  has  made  progress  in 
spite  of  mountains  of  obstacles  ;  a  race  whose  temperament 
defied  the  worse  evils  of  slavery,  both  African  and  American; 
a  race  of  great  vitality,  a  race  of  the  future,  a  race  of  des- 
tiny. 

In  closing  this  resume  of  this  little  work  it  is  proper  that 
I  should  warn  the  younger  members  of  the  race  against 
despondency,  and  against  the  looseness  of  character  and 
habits  that  is  singularly  consequential  of  a  despondent 
spirit.  Do  not  be  discouraged,  give  up,  and  throw  away 
brilliant  intellects,  because  of  seeming  obstacles,  but  rather 
resolve  to  BE  SOMETHING  AND  DO  SOMETHING 
IN  SPITE  OF  OBSTACLES. 

"  It  was  not  by  tossing  feather  balls  into  the  air  that  the 
great  Hercules  gained  his  strength,  but  by  hurling  huge 
bowlders  from  mountain  tops  "  that  his  name  became  the 
synonym  of  manly  strength."  So  the  harder  the  struggle 
the  greater  the  discipline  and  fitness.  If  we  cannot  reach 
success  in  one  way,  let  us  try  another.  u  If  the  mountain 
will  not  come  to  Mahomet  let  Mahomet  go  to  the  moun- 
tain." 

Self  made  men  are  usually  strong  characters — the  race 
needs  strong  characters,  it  needs  reliable  men  who  will 
help  live  down  the  reputation  that  has  already  been  made 
for  us  by  the  lick-spittle  and  jig  dances.  When  high 
character  marks  the  majority  of  the  race  sentiment  will 


443 

change  in  our  favor,  and  we  will  no  longer  be  measured 
by  the  vices  of  the  vicious,  but  by  the  virtues  of  the  ma- 
jority. Nothing  tells  for  progress  like  self  respect.  Money 
without  it  will  not  solve  the  problem,  let  there  be  both. 

THE  SOUTH  IS  A  GOOD  PLACE  FOR  THE 
NEGRO  TO  LIVE,  provided,  however,  the  better  class  of 
citizens  will  rise  up  and  demand  that  lynchings  and  mobs 
shall  cease,  and  that  the  officers  of  the  law  shall  do  their 
duty  without  prejudice.  The  only  way  to  suppress  mob 
violence  is  to  make  punishment  for  the  leaders  in  it,  sure 
and  certain.  The  reason  we  have  mobs  is  because  the 
leaders  of  them  know  they  will  not  be  punished.  The  en- 
forcement of  the  law  against  lynchers  will  break  it  up. 

The  white  ministers  should  take  up  the  cause  of  justice 
rather  than  endorse  the  red  shirts,  or  carry  a  Winchester 
themselves.  They  should  be  the  counselors  of  peace  and 
not  the  advocates  of  bloodshed.  Most  of  them,  no  doubt, 
do  regret  the  terrible  deeds  committed  by  mobs  on  helpless 
and  innocent  people,  but  is  a  question  as  to  whether  or 
not  they  would  be  suffered  by  public  sentiment  to  "  cry 
aloud''  against  them.  It  takes  moral  courage  to  face  any 
evil,  but  it  must  be  faced  or  dire  consequences  will  follow 
of  its  own  breeding.  Our  last  word  then,  is  an  appeal  to 
our  BROTHERS  IN  WHITE,  in  the  pulpit,  that  they 
should  rally  the  people  together  for  justice  and  condemn 
mob  violence.  The  Negroes  do  not  ask  social  equality, 
but  civil  equality  ;  let  the  false  notions  that  confound  civil 
rights  with  social  rights  be  dispelled,  and  advocate  the  civil 
equality  of  all  men,  and  the  problem  will  be  solved. 

Edmund  Burke  says  that  uwar  never  leaves  where  it 
found  a  nation."  Applying  this  to  the  American  nation 
with  respect  to  the  Negro  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  late 
war  will  leave  a  better  feeling  toward  him,  especially  in 
view  of  the  glorious  record  of  the  Negro  soldiers  who  par- 
ticipated in  that  conflict. 


APPENDIX. 


THE  TWO  BLACK  REGIMENTS. 


THE  FIELD  OFFICERS  ARE  SELECTED  FROM  THE  REGULAR 
ARMY— LINE  OFFICERS  ARE  AFRO -AMERICANS—IS  AMES  OF 
OFFICERS— FIRST  BLOOD  FOR  THE  AFRO-AMERICAN  PRESS. 

(FROM  THE  NEW  YORK  SUN.) 

WASHINGTON,  Sept.  9. — An  order  for  the  organization 
of  two  Negro  regiments  of  volunteers  was  issued  by  the 
War  Department  this  afternoon,  and  the  officers  selected 
were  announced.  All  the  field  officers,  Colonels,  Lieuten- 
ant-Colonels and  Majors,  are  from  the  regular  army,  and 
were  in  the  Santiago  campaign  except  Col.  Duval.  All 
the  Captains,  First  Lieutenants  and  Second  Lieutenants 
are  colored  men. 

The  regiments  will  be  designated  as  the  Forty- eighth 
and  Forty-ninth  Regiments  of  Infantry,  United  States  Vol- 
unteers. The  Forty-eigth  Regiment  will  be  organized  at 
Fort  Thomas,  Ky.,  and  the  Forty-ninth  at  Jefferson  Bar- 
racks, Mo. 

The  appointments  are  as  follows : 

To  be  Colonel  of  the  Forty-eighth  Regiment,  William  P. 
Duvall,  Captain  First  Artillery ;  to  be  Lieutenant- Colonel, 
Thaddeus  W.  Jones,  Captain  Tenth  Cavalry ;  to  be  Majors, 
Sedgwick  Rice,  First  Lieutenant  Seventh  Cavalry ;  Alex- 
ander L.  Dade,  First  Lieutenant  Third  Cavalry  and  John 
Howard,  First  Lieutenant  Nineteenth  Infantry. 


445 

To  be  Captains. — John  Buck,  First  Sergeant  Troop  B. 
Tenth  Cavalry ;  Thomas  Campbell,  late  First  Lieutenant 
Company  L.  Seventh  United  States  Volunteers;  William 
H.  Brown,  Sergeant- Major  Ninth  Cavalry ;  Carter  P.  John- 
son, Tenth  Cavalry ;  Thomas  Grant,  late  First  Lieutenant, 
Company  F,  Tenth  United  States  Volunteers ;  Robert  R. 
Rudd,  late  Captain  Company  A,  Ninth  Battalion  Ohio 
Volunteers ;  James  E.  Hamlin,  late  Captain  Third  North 
Carolina  Volunteers;  Pleasant  Webb,  late  Captain  Sixth 
Virginia  Volunteers;  Wm.  A.  Hankins,  late  Captain  Sixth 
Virginia  Volunteers;  Leon  W.  Denison,  late  Captain  Com- 
pany K,  Eighth  Illinois  Volunteers;  Stephen  Starr,  late 
Second  Lieutenant  Ninth  United  States  Volunteer  Infan- 
try ;  Alexander  Richardson,  late  First  Lieutenant  Ninth 
United  States  Volunteer  Infantry. 

To  be  First  Lieutenants. — L.  M.  Smith,  First  Sergeant 
Troop  M,  Tenth  Cavalry ;  Peter  McCowan,  First  Sergeant 
Troop  E,  Tenth  Cavalry;  William  H.  Allen,  Sergeant 
Company  A,  Ninth  Cavalry ;  John  H.  Anderson,  Squadron 
Sergeant-Major  Ninth  Cavalry ;  Charles  O.  Thorns,  late 
Lieutenant  Eighth  United  States  Volunteer  Infantry;  Jerry 
M.  White,  late  First  Lieutenant  Twenty-third  Kansas;  Jas. 
F.  Powell,  late  Second  Lieutenant  Indiana  Volunteers ;  H. 
B.  grown,  late  First  Lieutenant  Third  North  Carolina ;  H. 
J.  Parker,  late  First  Sergeant  Tenth  United  States  Volun- 
teer Infantry ;  Jacob  C.  Smith,  late  Second  Lieutenant 
Ninth  United  States  Volunteer  Infantry;  John  W.  Brown, 
late  Second  Lieutenant  Ninth  United  States  Volunteer 
Infantry;  Charles  C.  Caldwell,  late  First  Lieutenant  Com- 
pany B,  Ninth  Battalion  Ohio  Volunteers. 


446 

• 

To  be  Second  Lieutenants. — Walter  Green,  First  Sergeant 
Company  K,  Tenth  Cavalry;  C.  B.  Turner,  Commissary 
Sergeant  Tenth  Cavalry;  Joseph  Moore,  First  Lieutenant 
Company  B,  Eighth  United  States  Volunteer  Infantry;  J. 
B  Coleman,  late  First  Lieutenant  Company  E.  Seventh 
United  States  Volunteer  Infantr) ;  Lincoln  Washington, 
Sergeant-Major  Ninth  Cavalry;  David  B.  Jeffers,  late  Sec- 
ond Lieutenant  Tenth  United  States  Volunteer  Infantry  ; 
Wilson  Ballard,  late  Second  Lieutenant  Ninth  Battalion 
Ohio  Volunteers;  Joseph  C.  Andrews,  private,  Company  L, 
Sixth  Massachusetts  Volunteers;  Frank  R.  Chisholm,  late 
private,  Company  L,  Sixth  Massachusetts  Volunteers ; 
John  K.  Rice,  late  First  Lieutenant  Sixth  Virginia  Volun- 
teers; George  W.  Taylor,  non-commissioned  officer  Third 
North  Carolina  Volunteers  ;  Green  F.  Marion,  late  Sergeant 
Third  Alabama  Volunteers. 

To  be  Colonel  Forty-ninth  Regiment,  William  H.  Beck, 
Captain  Tenth  Cavalry;  to  be  Lieutenant-Colonel,  Arthur 

C.  Ducat,  Captain  Twenty-fourth  Infantry;  to  be  Majors, 
Ernest  Hinds,  First  Lieutenant  Second  Artiller} ;  George 
W.  Kirkman,  Captain  Twenty-third  Infantry,  and  James 
E.  Brett,  Captain  Twenty-fourth  Infantry. 

To  be  Captains. — William  E.  Edwards,  Sergeant  Com- 
pany A,  Tenth  Cavalry;  Charles  W.  Jefferson,  First  Ser- 
geant Company  B,  Ninth  Cavaln ;  Floyd  H.  Crumbly,  late 
First  Lieutenant  Company  A,  Tenth  United  States  Volun- 
teer Infantry;  Edward  L.  Baker,  Late  Lieutenant  Company 
B,  Tenth  United  States  Volunteer  Infantry;  John  O.  Proctor, 
late  First  Lieutenant  Eighth  United  States  Volunteer  In- 
fantry; Emanuel  D.  Bass,  late  First  Lieutenant  Company 

D.  Ninth  Battalion  Ohio  Volunteers;  W.  M.  Hawkins,  late 
Captain  Twenty-third  Kansas  Volunteers;  Benjamin  Graves, 
late  Captain  Sixth  Virginia  Volunteers;  William  R.  Staff, 


M7 

Sergeant-Major  Twenty-fourth  Infantry;  Frank  R.  Steward, 
late  Second  Lieutenant  Eighth  United  States  Volunteer 
Infantry;  Robert  G.  Wocd,  late  Second  Lieutenant  Ninth 
United  States  Volunteer;  Infantry;  Robert  Gage,  late  Cap- 
tain Third  Alabama  Volunteers. 

To  be  First  Lieutenants. — Charles  Perry,  First  Sergeant 
Troop  L,  Tenth  Cavalry  ;  L.  H.  Jordan,  First  Lieutenant 
Company  K.  Seventh  United  States  Volunteer  Infantry; 
Charles  S.  Spurlock,  Sergeant  Company  E,  Tenth  Cavalry; 
Eber  W.  Maden,  Sergeant  Company  E,  Ninth  Cavalry;' 
Charles  H.  Robinson,  First  Lieutenant  Sixth  Virginia 
Volunteers;  Jas.  H.  Thomas,  late  First  Lieutenant  Indiana 
Volunteers;  Divid  J.  Gilmer,  late  Captain  Third  North 
Carolina  Volunteers ;  Robt.  Blakeman,  late  First  Sergeant 
Company  H.  Eighth  Illinois  Volunteers ;  Hamilton  H. 
Blunt,  late  First  Lieutenant  Ninth  United  States  Volun- 
teer Infantry ;  Thomas  C.  Butler,  late  Second  Lieutenant 
Ninth  United  States  Volunteer  Infantry ;  Macon  Russell, 
late  Second  Lieutenant  Eighth  United  States  Volunteer  In- 
fantry; late  Quartermaster  Sergeant  L.  A.  Tilman,  Seventh 
United  States  Volunteer  Infantry. 

To  be  Second  Lieutenants. — A.  M.  Ray,  Sergeant  Com- 
pany F,  Tenth  Cavalry;  Robert  L.  Gough,  Company  D, 
Twenty-fourth  Infantry;  Wyatt  Huffman,  late  Second  Lieu- 
tenant Eighth  United  States  Volunteer  Infantry ;  Beverly 
Peaca,  late  First  Lieutenant  Seventh  United  States  Volun- 
teer Infantry;  Henry  F.  Walls,  Commissary  Sergeant  Ninth 
Cavalry  ;  William  Blaney,  late  Second  Lieu'enant  Tenth 
United  States  Volunteer  Infantry ;  Horace  F.  Wheaton, 
Private,  Company  L,  Sixth  Massachusetts  Volunteers ; 
Frederick  C.  Wilson,  private,  Company  L,  Sixth  Massa- 
chusetts Volunteers;  George  E.  Payne,  Second  Lieutenant 
Twenty- third  Kansas;  Leander  W.  Hayes,  late  Sergeant 
Third  North  Carolina  Volunteers;  Gilford  E.  Campbell,  late 
Sergeant  Eighth  Illinois  Volunteers ;  Edward  B.  Johnson, 
Tenth  Cavalry.— TV^.  T.  Age. 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


William  McKinley 202 

General  Fitzhugh  Lee 211 

General  Antonio  Maceo 215 

Miss  Evangelina  Cosio  y  Cisneros 219 

U.  S:  S.  Maine 223 

Eddie  Savoy 229 

Jose  Maceo 233 

Sergeant  Frank  W.  Pullen   239 

Charge  on  El  Caney 247 

Corporal  Brown 251 

'George  E.  Powell 262 

Col.  Theodore  B.  Roosevelt. 269 

Gen.  Nelson  A.  Miles 280 

Sergeant  Berry 284 

General  Maximo  Gomez 291 

First  pay-day  in  Cuba  for  the  Ninth  and  Tenth  Cavalry 299 

First  President  of  the  Cuban  Republic 307 

Cubans  Fighting  from  Tree  Tops 315 

Investment  of  Santiago  by  U.  S.  Army 327 

General  Russell  A.  Alger,  Secretary  of  War 334 

Cuban  Women  Cavalry 339 

Officers  of  the  Ninth  Ohio 349 

Major  John  R.  Lynch 355 

Major  R.  R.  Wright 361 

Major  J.  B.  Johnson 371 

Third  North  Carolina  Volunteers  and  Officers 375 

President  Charles  F.  Meserve 379 

Photo  Officers  23d  Kansas  U.  S.  Volunteer  Infantry 383 

Mr.  Judson  W.  Lyons 389 

The  Games  Family 393 

Coleman  Cotton  Factory 399 

John  R.  Brown,  Uncle  Sam's  Money  Sealer 403 

Paul  Lawrence  Dunbar,  Negro  Poet 408 

A  Philipino  Lady 411 

Gen.  Pio  Pilar 415 

Emilio  Aguinaldo,  Military  Dictator  of  the  Filipinos 419 

Felipe  Agoncillo 425 

Convent  at  Cavite,  Aguinaldo's  Headquarters  429 

Church  at  San  Sebastino,  Manila 437 

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